Naked News
by redweasleygirl
Summary: Architect Edward Cullen has a routine that he sticks to. The best part of said routine? Getting home in time to hear his favourite words in the English language: 'Good evening America! This is Isabella Swan reporting for Naked News'.
1. Chapter 1 - 46

**Naked News**

**SM OWNS IT ALL**

**CHAPTER One**

_Five minutes...I've still got five minutes...hurry up you fucking twats...slow fucking car drivers...four minutes...SHIT... I'm going to miss it..._

He rushed through traffic, careening around the corner onto his avenue and all but threw himself out of the car as soon as he had parked onto his impressive drive. He paid no attention to the beautiful architecture of his own design as he normally did, rushing instead to get inside and switch on the television.

_Damn clients, keeping me late...I almost missed her starting..._

Fingers now trembling in excitement, he quickly started the evening routine as soon as he locked the door.

Curtains shut, house phone off the hook, mobile phone switched off and pager switched off, he dimmed the lights and tried to pick up the remote control to his 70 inch HD flat screen that was bolted onto his wall. It took him several tries as his fingers were trembling in excitement but finally he managed to click on the television and switch it to the right channel.

He eased himself into his favourite lazy-chair and brought his hands to rest upon his thighs, taut with excitement.

The familiar music was blasting out of his speakers and like some sort of perverted pavlovian response, he felt himself getting...ready...to watch the upcoming visual...

'Good evening America! This is Isabella Swan reporting for Naked News!'

**CHAPTER TWO**

'Good evening America! This is Isabella Swan reporting for Naked News!'

He listened to her beautiful deep voice, so confident and sexy. He could tell that she was more than just a pretty face...and awesome body. He may or may not have googled her once...or a thousand times and had learned that not only did she have a Masters in Distinction for Journalism but that she had worked for two years freelancing in politically dangerous climates all over the world.

It only made her sexier.

'This evening I will be covering the headlines from political news of the day to trending articles from all over the globe,' she said seductively on screen.

_Covering the news...whilst uncovering her sexy as fuck body._

_Fuck me._

He watched with bright green eyes as she started her clever coverage and pithily written stance on the news of the day (that he suspected she wrote herself), all the while running her fingers through her gorgeous long hair.

She was wearing a sexy black skirt suit that displayed the tautness of her legs' sexy musculature and the deep line of her bounteous bosom. She teasingly ran her soft looking fingers over her hour glass figure before slowly starting to unbutton the three pins on her jacket.

One...

Sexy midriff and toned stomach muscles, naughty belly jewel peeking out from the dark fabric.

Two...

Hint of a black lace bra that he could only hope was part of a matching set.

Three...

Magnificent torso and outline framed in sinful underwear. Her chocolate eyes almost seemed to be following him as his choppy movements kept true to his stringent routine.

NN-NN-NN-NN-NN-NN-NN-NN

If anyone were to be passing by the impressive estate on the end of Porteco Street, designed by the famous Edward Cullen they would wonder why he appeared to be having a fight with someone, or at least a passionate debate. Everyone knew that he lived alone but he must make regular phone correspondence or something similar because the evening dog walkers of Porteco Street knew that if they deigned to listen, at precisely 7.37pm every night, they would hear Edward Cullen lamenting to an unknown deity about someone called Isabella.

'Ahhh!...UUUUUUUGHHhhh...OH GOD ISABELLA!'.

**CHAPTER THREE**

**SM OWNS IT ALL**

Until recently, Edward Cullen's schedule was a regimented 'thing of beauty' that he did not sway from for anything. He woke up at precisely 5.45am every work day. He would immediately roll out of his plush bed and wince as his lengthy body came in contact with the cold antique floor. He would crunch his impressive abdominals precisely one hundred times before stretching out his various muscles and changing into some running gear. A half hour run round through the quiet American suburbs was followed by an efficient shower and nutritious breakfast whilst catching up on the evens of the world via the news channel.

He would leave for work promptly at 7.00am and usually beat morning traffic (including a stop for extremely overpriced morning coffee) to be at his company's buildings by 7.45am.

His working day would be stringently scheduled by his efficient, if highly annoying, personal assistant Tanya Denali. Clients, working lunches, strategy meetings with Jasper and Emmett, working functions; they were all commonplace during his working schedule.

After enduring at least a few attempts at unwanted seduction from his delusional assistant, he would converse with her for fifteen minutes at the end of each day, catching up on important correspondence and generally reviewing for the next day.

Unlike his morning ritual, he would undoubtedly be caught in evening traffic on his way home, an artefact of his busy schedule which was only slightly mollified by the luxury of the Aston Martin which is derriere was currently sitting in.

After twiddling with the myriad buttons on his dashboard, he would grumble and gripe at the inarticulate dithering of what passed for radio presenting these days, before angrily switching the whole things off, often finding that at this point he was more or less near his impressively designed (if he did say so himself) home.

He would drive his car up the stately drive that curved round to meet an impressive four door garage that conveniently looked upon the entire front of his mansion. He would sit for five minutes in the heat of his car and look at the curved lines of his own design and the simple majesty of joining antiquity with a hint of modern thinking. With a soft sigh and half smile, he would park his car and walk through the front door of his home.

Then came the part of his routine which Edward Cullen admitted to himself was not efficient.

He would look around the magnificent rooms, filled with beautiful things, some of his own design and would feel the gut wrenching loneliness and longing for companionship that had pervaded his adult life for as long as he would remember.

He would look around at the various pictures on the wall that showed his remarkable family in various poses, but not one of them was filled with a picture of a significant other.

He would wander into his magnificent kitchen and mindlessly heat up a meal that was distinctly designed for one, all the while lamenting the fact that the family sized breakfast bar or the industrial sized silver topped cooker had in fact never been used by any number greater than one.

After finishing a meal which more often than not was bland as all hell and downing one small glass of red wine, he would walk about the various rooms on the first floor of his mansion, broodingly reflecting that all of his hard work and sacrifice was for naught if he didn't have anyone to share it with.

During one particularly depressing evening, he was mindlessly sitting in a lazy chair in his TV room, for once abandoning his strict routine for the sake of his maudlin melancholy. Flipping through channel after channel his mind was screaming at him for something new, something...just different than the ordinary.

Call it fate, call it kismet or sheer dumb luck, but during the mindless switching of channels, his mind caught a flash of the word 'naked' and of the most fucking gorgeous brown eyes he had ever seen. Swiftly turning back, his body not really recognising the reason for the need to be so fast in finding the channel, he tutted and cursed until he found what he was looking for.

A bright studio decked out like a news station but with the title 'Naked News'.

_What the fuck? How can news be naked?_

And then, wonder of all wonders.

The most beautiful woman he had ever had the fortune to see with his own two eyes graced the screen. She was curvy and naturally beautiful, with gleaming brown/red hair that almost reached her backside. Her eyes were beautifully brown, almost like chocolate and they seemed to be laughing all on their own.

And then she spoke.

He watched with verdant green eyes as those sumptuously plump lips moulded around that sinfully pink tongue to release what would quickly become his favourite words in the English language.

In sexy, husky tones, this mysterious brown haired nymph looked directly at him and spoke.

'Good evening America! This is Isabella Swan reporting for Naked News!'

**CHAPTER** FOUR

'Yo Eddie! What are we doing for lunch today?'

Edward looked from his screen, absently chewing his pen to find his life-long friend and business partner Emmett McCarty looming in the doorframe to his office. He was currently tweaking the final designs of a project that worked with the idea of solar panelling, a venture which he had agreed to take on purely for the fact that it was something he had never done before. It was interesting and satisfying work but was challenging and absolutely exhausting for him, considering the extensive research he had to do.

'Emmett, please don't call me Eddie, you know I hate that,' he muttered, eyes flickering back to the screen momentarily. A snickering giggle that most wouldn't expect from the hulking behemoth standing before him was his only answer. Finally deciding to give his friend his full attention, he looked up.

'Have you phoned Jasper to see if he is free? We could all go out together. I can only manage forty five minutes though before I have my next meeting,' he told his friend.

Emmett might be known for being a joker, but he looked up on his friend with slight concern, his bright blue eyes taking in the small lines that now graced his friends face and the lack of personal touches in his office.

_I can't imagine being as lonely as him. So glad I met Rosie. I wonder if she knows anyone we could set him up with..._

'Yeah I phoned, he should be in the lobby in five minutes. Let's go to Riley's, I could so do with their house lasagne. Besides, that cute blonde might be working today', he hinted teasingly.

That brought a real scowl to Edward's face and he narrowly avoided throwing his stapler had his friends head.

_Knowing my luck it would be the stapler that endured the most damage._

NN NN NN NN NN NN NN NN NN NN NN

As he pressed the button to close the door to his garage, he only just managed to stop himself from throwing the damn thing across the drive. He had ended up having to stay an hour later than planned as the afternoon had just turned into a giant cluster-fuck of epic proportions. A million small things such as printer failures, inept personal assistants and malfunctioning lifts had resulted in dual reasons for his epic bad mood which was such a contrast to his mood from earlier.

He had enjoyed a great lunch with his oldest friends in the world catching up on their news and talking about a potential new client that Jasper might have through his wife Alice. On the other hand, he had avoided the less than subtle attentions of the aforementioned blonde at Riley's. It's not that she wasn't pretty, or even bland. She was lovely and charming, but did about as much for him attraction wise as the thought of Emmett in a man-kini.

_I really do prefer brunettes_, he thought, thoroughly disgruntled.

And so the second reason for his bad mood?

He had missed his daily dose of ambrosia.

Scuffing his feet like a small child, he walked dejectedly into his TV room and mindlessly flipped through the channels.

Can't believe I missed her.

Now call it kismet, fate or sheer dumb luck but as he mindlessly looked through the television guide he naturally went a bit slower when it came to what he thought of as 'the Bella channel'. Being as he only ever watched television for half an hour or so at night, and even then that was only when he was at home, he could be forgiven for not knowing what channels were in his subscription package.

And then words of gold, his second favourite words in the English language.

**Naked News + 1 – WITH A RECORD OPTION.**

_I can record? WTF!_

Quickly flipping to the golden channel plus one, he was amazed and aroused at the beginning captions of his heaven, his nectar, and his brown-haired naiad with the luscious breasts.

'Good evening America! This is Isabella Swan reporting for Naked News!'

He whimpered.

She was wearing a lovely blue wrap dress that showed her figure to advantage, and her hair was pinned back slightly, showing off the gorgeous lines of her elegant neck.

As she started speaking, he watched as her hands teasingly started to undo the tie-belt on the dress, first parting one side to reveal a hint of a lacy teal bra and panties set, before finally pulling on the hidden tie at the revealed side to let it all fall to the floor.

_Oh my cock, she is gorgeous. I want her so bad!_

He seemed unaware of his movements, his hands almost robotic as they sought to ease the sharp and painful ache concealed in his expensive trousers. He rubbed three fingers along the hard ridge of his erection, bucking slightly off the seat, mouth open as he continued to watch her teasingly run her soft looking fingers over her perfect looking skin.

And then she went in for the kill.

Her fingers undid the back clasp of the sexy bra she was wearing before slowly sliding the straps down her slim shoulders. She held the cups to her breasts, keeping them there for an inordinate amount of time it seemed.

_Please, oh god please drop it, drop it baby!_

She did.

**CHAPTER** FIVE

He glanced wearily up at the polished chrome wall clock on the wall adjacent to his desk to see that it was 9.30pm. The starkness of his office was thrown slightly into relief by the bustling sounds and lights of the city below him, which he could see from the highly polished glass wall of his office. He saw friends greeting each other in the street, corner musicians striking various chords of myriad genre. With a well taught and appreciative eye, he could see the strange fit of having bookstores and quaint little shops and restaurants all thrown into one Technicolor urban jungle. If nothing else, it spoke of life. Busy, teeming with opportunity, spontaneous and serendipitous life.

Edward Cullen was feeling envious of such a view tonight.

As he finished the very last swirl of his pen on the carefully drafted and magnificent plans for his latest project, he could only feel a slight flare of satisfaction.

Eight years ago he would have been out celebrating such an occasion, perhaps with his friends and their newly acquired respective others.

Eight years ago he would have been proud of himself and his accomplishments, and have thought nothing of the cancelled dates and family gatherings that had paved the way for his rigorous success.

Eight years ago...was not now.

He idly flicked through the to-do list for next week, lying in his tray. Couple of new ventures, review meetings, one-to-one consultation with a B. Dywer, business lunches.

Bleh.

As he sat in the now empty building of his own design, he realised that the prospect of going home to another night of emptiness in his grand mansion was simply unappealing.

_Maybe I should take Jasper up on that offer of a blind date._

Locking up his office and checking out with security, he made the random decision to go and stay with his parents for the weekend. They had always made it clear that he was welcomed no matter what the reason or time, and he was feeling the distinct need for some family time. Navigating through traffic, he wended his way towards his parent's palatial home in the suburbs.

When he had discovered that he could record a digital copy of any television show on his impressive entertainment system, he had also discovered that he could watch said recordings on any mobile device.

Well.

That had certainly shaken up his routine.

He had enjoyed a night of loving familial attention and didn't even mind the various looks of sympathy on his relative's faces at how tired he was. He missed the sadness in his mothers gaze as she saw the deep lines that were beginning to mark themselves on her son's fair skin, but she knew better than to say anything. It would only fall on deaf ears.

Deliciously home cooked food and even some cheesy board games had served to lighten Edward's mood considerably. And as he followed his evening routine (as best as possible given the change of his bed place tonight) he laid a happy head on his pillow. He raised his phone up to his face and made sure that the volume was turned down low enough that he could barely hear it.

And then he watched her.

Her eyes seemed so kind even as they were sultry and intelligent. Her skin was beautiful soft looking and he somehow just knew that she didn't need any pots and creams to get it that way. How he longed to wrap his hand around that long length of silky hair and just bring it up to his face. He imagined it would smell of strawberries.

And as she took off her clothes for the world to see, he didn't see shame in her face or any attempt to cringe away from her natural state. She was not sticking out her beautiful cleavage nor attempting a ridiculous tilt of her hips in a false attempt at a 'come-hither' look which he was all too familiar with from the Tanya-the-Terrible. She looked proud of her entire being and it wasn't showy or tawdry in the slightest.

As he stroked his aching length to the finale of her segment, he imagined that it was her hand, small yet strong and sure as it stroked down and up, down and up in quick hard strokes. Long brown hair would tease the sensitive skin of his knees and thighs as she moved with the rhythm of her strokes. The most beautiful sight of all would be the quietly confident look on her gorgeous face as she brought him to completion.

He quietly cried out her name into the softness of his pillow and finally eased a happy sigh.

Sleepily eyeing the now stagnant image on his phone, he smiled sleepily at the screen.

'Goodnight Isabella.'

**CHAPTER** SIX

The staff in the lobby of Cullen towers watched with myriad emotion as Edward walked through the glass panelled entrance way. The security guards felt envious of the confident gait of the handsome man, but their jealousy was tempered with the wry admiration that he was in fact an ambitious and intelligent individual who treated his staff better than many other employers. The various interns who were collecting detailed coffee orders for their respective mentors looked with awe bordering on worship to their chosen idol. The girls behind the desk unknowingly let the phones ring off the hook as they watched the handsome and enigmatic man stroll off to the shiny lifts.

Not any of them could have guessed that the confident stride of this handsome man was more a mark of routine actions than any conscious feeling of pride or achievement.

As he exited the lifts onto the top floor of Cullen Tower, he made his way to his office, conscious of the tasks he had for the day ahead. Unfortunately this meant bypassing the desk of Tanya-the-Terrible. The only reason he kept her on was the fact that she was good at her job.

'Edward! Edward! Your bagel is on your desk and your paperwork is sitting next to your computer. Your eleven o'clock has been rescheduled for this afternoon and your review meeting with Mr McCarty and Mr Whitlock is confirmed for one pm,' she told him hurriedly.

He looked at her curtly, still unforgiving of her recent attempts to grope his behind in the lift under the guise of having dropped her handbag.

'Thank you Ms Denali, but do I have to remind you to address me as Mr Cullen? I like for the workplace to remain as _professional_ as possible, in _all_ capacities,' he told her dryly, delighting slightly in the look of chagrin on her face. He waited until she nodded sullenly before walking into his office.

The smell of his bacon bagel was delicious.

_Mmmmm Bacon Bagel..._

He took a delicious bite before pulling his work for the day to his line of sight.

There was the signing off on the solar window project, reviewing for the new contracts with Jasper and Emmett, the monthly employee lunch and a meeting with a B. Dywer.

_Not a bad day in all. I should be home quite early if my afternoon appointment is efficient. Mmmm more time with Isabella...and all her twin sister recordings!_

It was safe to say that Edward was taking advantage of his newly discovered recording television technologies.

At least it made masturbating more exciting...although he would need to take to exercising his left arm to counterbalance the newly defined musculature of his right arm.

After his lunch meeting with his two best friends, he walked back to his office, revelling in the guilty anticipation of the newest addition to his rigorous schedule.

Rigorous indeed.

He couldn't help but reflect that it was serendipitous for him to have designed an office that just so happened to have an attached bathroom, a somewhat luxurious, sound proofed bathroom.

Not that he dreamed he would be using it for the purpose which it now chiefly served.

It had all started with the discovery of his recording capabilities and the fact that this led to a...portable Isabella Swan.

A naked, portable Isabella Swan.

A man has only so much self control when confronted with ambrosia, literally at his fingertips if need be. He would sneak a look at the silenced videos of her when he was sure he wouldn't be disturbed by clients or his inane personal assistant.

Oh she was glorious, even on the small screen!

Inevitably though, this of course led to uncomfortable and inappropriate trouser situations which eminent architect Edward Cullen could _not_ be compromised with.

Enter the new addition for fifteen minutes of undisturbed private reflection in his daily diary and the now rigorous use of his bathrooms multiple utilities.

Today was no exception.

He quickly locked himself in the safety of his masturbatory refuge and sat on the padded bench the lined the wall adjacent to the frosted glass shower. He shucked down his expensive slacks and immediately grasped his hard member in a well practiced movement.

He did not even need to watch his secret videos anymore, he had a veritable collection of fantasy-videos in his well organised mind for such moments.

Today's selection was Isabella the naughty librarian.

_She was wearing a black skirt and white blouse that had the top buttons undone, her long shiny hair up in a messy twist held with pencils and lovely black framed glasses that highlighted her magnificent doe eyes and classic bone structure. She looked at young architecture student Edward Cullen, who had unfortunately been late in returning his books. _

'_Mr Cullen, I'm afraid you have missed the deadline for returning your study books on architecture. I'm afraid this will be to the detriment of your academic record...unless of course we can come to some arrangement...' she spoke in a sultry voice._

_Young Edward Cullen immediately tented his trousers and prayed to various deities that he didn't misfire in his pants. _

'_Yyyes—yes Ms Swan...um how can I rectify the situation?' he all but squeaked. _

It was safe to say that her manner of rectification was amenable to the both of them.

As he stroked himself to completion, he picture her sprawled on the desk, magnificent breasts jiggling out of an open white blouse as they moved in rhythm with the thrusts of his powerful hips, the sight of his cock driving into her welcome warmth such a turn on that it catapulted them both into a powerful completion .

He closed his eyes with a sighing smile and let his head thunk back against the tiled walls.

Edward Cullen was nothing if not a stickler for his routine.

After five minutes to capture his breath, he swiftly returned to business mode and prepared for his last meeting of the day. Gathering his paper work, he quickly ran to Jasper's office to double check some of the details of the solar panelling project before Jasper's legal brain signed off on it.

'Good luck with your next appointment,' he said cheerily to Edward.

'Uh, thanks?' he said, somewhat bemused.

_Since when do we need luck? We are the best in the business. _

He quickly strode back to his office and bypassed an irritated looking Tanya, who snippily informed him the B. Dwyer was waiting in his office for him.

He opened the door to his office and was greeted with the sight of the sun glinting off a head of beautiful brown hair.

**CHAPTER** Seven

When Edward Cullen was a little boy, he had of course loved his parents with a deep filial love, but looking back, he could clearly see that when he was younger, he had definitely been a Mamma's boy. He loved her sweet smelling skin as she gently swayed a young Edward afflicted with toothache or the cheeky smile he had inherited from her as they made chocolate chip cookies together.

But his favourite, absolute favourite part of his Mother-Son routine was when she would snuggle in to bed with him to read a fantastical tale of knights slaying dragons. She would drape her long auburn hair over his little body and he would revel in its beautiful scent. He had loved to gently run his fingers through it, loving the silky tresses that created a little world for them, all on their own.

A love of long silky hair had stayed with Edward Cullen through his entire life.

So when he approached the door frame and saw a beautiful head of chestnut hair, he immediately checked his footfalls, momentarily stunned into immobility.

The glass windows allowed the sunlight to glint in that glorious head of hair, revealing subtle hues of reds and browns, creating an overwhelming waterfall of cascading chocolate waves.

_I am a professional._

_I am a professional and successful man. I will be polite and courteous._

He forced himself to move swiftly and efficiently, angling his body so that his client would know that he was here. Clearing his throat, he started to speak, until he recognised the beautiful woman sitting in the chair normally reserved for clients.

'Good afternoon, I am sorry to have kept you waiting...Ms Dwy..'

_Isabella Swan is in my office._

_Shit._

**CHAPTER** Eight

When he later reflected on the events of that fated afternoon, he would always reach the same realisation.

_At least I didn't faint._

Although on contemplation, he wished that he could also add to that conclusion thusly,

_At least I didn't get a boner. _

'Good afternoon, I am sorry to have kept you waiting...Ms Dwy..'

Brown eyes met green in no little confusion.

He watched as if in slow motion as those sumptuously plump lips moved to speak.

'Um...are you alright Sir? Are you Edward Cullen? I have a meeting with him this afternoon to discuss some building plans I would have for a new house for my Father and I,' she said in that sexy as hell voice.

It was only the dedicated professionalism of years as an architect that let him shake his head to clear the hazy lust from his eyes.

He coughed and cleared his throat before moving to his desk in a slight stumbling movement which inevitably caught...Ms Dwyer's (?) eyes.

'Yes hello Ms Dywer, I'm sorry about that, I think I was slightly winded there from running down the corridor,' he finished, somewhat lamely.

_Great, couldn't think of anything else that doesn't make you sound like an unfit geriatric? _

She smiled in a somewhat bemused way and motioned with her hands to the documents she had laid on the desk. He watched her graceful hands move and was delighted to notice a very slight blush stain her cheeks as she started to discuss what is was she was looking for.

_I fucking love that blush._

She was wearing smart slacks and a lovely blue sweater that was set off by a silky little scarf tied round her neck. He noted with barely concealed glee that she did indeed give off a faint scent of strawberries. He watched in an absolute daze as she suddenly stopped talking, and realised that he hadn't taken in a word she had said.

_Focus Edward!_

'Mr Cullen? Is there a problem? Do you think you can help me with these plans?' she asked, a little nervously.

_Do not come in your pants when she says Mr Cullen. _

_Do not come in your pants when she says Mr Cullen. _

_Do not come in your pants when she says Mr Cullen. _

He coughed (again) to clear his head and focused his _absolute_ attention on being professional and trying to help this goddess of a client.

He bravely met her frank gaze and prepared himself to speak.

'I am sorry Ms Dywer, I am feeling a little off today, please don't mind me. Let me have a look at these plans you have drawn up. Oh and please call me Edward, Mr Cullen is my Father,' he joked lamely.

_Oh and also because if you call me Mr Cullen one more time, I am liable to shoot off like a fucking rocket. _

She looked relieved that she was not in fact dealing with a lunatic. As she smiled, little dimples appeared on both cheeks that coupled with her blush and freckles served to make her the most beautiful vision he had ever seen.

'Oh I am glad Mr Cu-...er Edward. I have been working towards this for a long time, to create a new life for my Father and I. Oh and please call me Bella,' she finished, blushing again as she looked at the handsome man across from her.

They got down to discussing what exactly she was looking for and Edward soon found himself actually able to immerse himself in the work with enthusiasm. She was not at all stand offish or unfriendly but in fact so absolutely perfect that it was starting to make his heart bleed.

**CHAPTER** Nine

'Well, I think that is all Bella. Did you have any more questions before we finish?' he asked the lovely young woman.

They had spent an enjoyable hour together, going over some initial plans for her proposed new home. He had been impressed by the detail and thought of her plans, considering she did not have any experience of architecture. The longer he spent in her company, the more he had realised that her inner beauty far eclipsed the flawless physical features that made her form. She had asked insightful questions and even laughed a few times at the jokes he had made.

'No, I think that is everything Edward. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time to work on this project for me. It might not seem like a big project for you, but I have been working for this and my Father for a long time,' she finished, blushing as if she hadn't meant to reveal so many personal details.

He smiled a genuine and unabashed grin, failing to notice how her face blushed lightly at the way it lit up his handsome features.

'Bella, don't be silly. I am thrilled to be working on this design with you, it has been a long time since I have worked on so personal a project,' he said.

_And I'm pretty sure if you had proposed plans to build a three story pig sty, I would have abandoned all projects to work with you._

They looked at one another, smiling sweetly, before the dulcet tones of his personal assistant trilled from the intercom.

'Mr Cullen, are you finished with your meeting with Ms Dywer? I have some paperwork to go over with you. And then I was thinking that we could walk down to your car together...' she trailed off, false notes of friendliness ringing for everyone to hear.

They both blanched at the rude interruption to their so far enthralling tete-a-tete, although both for different reasons.

Bella started making choppy movements, quickly gathering her things together. In hurried accents she spoke in a rather subdued and slightly hurt voice.

'Well, er...goodbye Edward. Please let me know when you can begin working on this. We needn't meet in person, you can just email me if it is more convenient for you. I have to go...uhm I don't want to make you late for your evening arrangements with your lady friend. Goodbye.'

She then beat a hasty retreat before he could even think to close his mouth that was currently hitting the floor in abject shock.

And not the good kind of shock.

Not the kind where you find the woman of your dreams (and wet dreams coincidentally) sitting in your office asking to work with you because of your expertise.

Not the kind of shock where you find that said Goddess is in fact absolutely fucking perfect in every way, hold the Mary Poppins thank-you very much.

Not the kind of shock when you realise that she does indeed smell like strawberries and that you can in fact make her laugh.

No.

The shock Edward Cullen was feeling was simply due to the sinking feeling that any positive rapport he had established with Bella was now demolished by the grand delusions of the interfering harpy who currently served as his assistant.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of secretary-cide (for the moment), he looked around, in quite a daze, to notice that in her hurry, Bella had forgotten the little blue scarf which she had taken off at some point as it had been too warm.

Bending down, he swiftly picked up the silky length and brought it to his nose, delighted to experience the gorgeous scents of his own personal siren. Running it through his fingers, he noticed the little tab which indicated the designer's motif.

_True Desires Range by Alice Brandon-Whitlock. _

**CHAPTER** Ten

He stood dumb for what seemed an eternity but was actually only a minute. He could still smell her sweet scent as it wafted through the room from her sharp exit, and it helped to sharpen his focus. He quickly ran out of the room, intent on chasing the chestnut haired nymph who had tired of him and had ran back to the trees.

At least I have an excuse for being a stalker.

So focused on catching her was he that he spared no more than a narrowed glance of disgust at his personal assistant who was currently sitting with a self satisfied smile on her cosmetically enhanced features.

I will deal with you later*.

He ran past the astonished faces of his office mates who were shocked at seeing such unfamiliar behaviour in the usually calm and collected Edward Cullen.

Momentarily cursing his pretentious designs of being on the top floor of Cullen tower, he prayed to any benevolent deity who would listen that there would be an elevator free at this time of day.

_I will help old ladies cross the street, I will adopt three legged dogs, I will attend family dinners more often, I will give up masturbation...only please let there be an elevator free!_

There might as well have been a chorus of heavenly music and inexplicable beams of light piercing the concrete walls as he alighted upon the fated sight of an empty elevator door about to close.

_If you are listening...Well, I erm...um...please don't make me give up masturbation. I can negotiate on the dog adoption. _

He frantically pressed the button for ground floor, all the while purposefully forgetting his dislike of people who pressed buttons more than once – as if somehow it would make their function operate more efficiently.

_Well maybe if it was Bella's button...hm...boner in a lift. Great._

The bland music only served to irritate his already frazzled nerves, the ill utilised adrenaline coursing through his athletic body.

It seemed to take forever to reach the desired floor, and even then it was probably too late.

He ran through the doors as soon as they started to open and realised a faint feeling of pain in his shoulders as they bounced of the mechanical doors as he left the elevator in his haste. He quickly scanned the lobby and felt all hope leave his body.

He ran to the glass doors, the silky blue scarf still tightly knotted in his closed fist, looking for any sign of its owner's lustrous chestnut hair.

He saw the busy city at office closing time: people milling about in their creased suits, yellow taxi cabs transporting people about their lives, students evincing the mode of bohemian artistry as they busked and congregated on the museum steps.

But no Bella Dywer...Isabella Swan...love of his life...

He took once last look out of the glass doors, aghast at having missed what would have been his only opportunity of seeing her again on the same day.

And then...kismet, fate, winning the lottery and the best orgasm of his life all rolled into one.

He saw her sitting on one of the benches, one of her fists tightly held against her chest right above her heart and the other clawed around her mobile phone which was held to her ear. If he stepped outside, the curve of the pillars that supported the foundations of Cullen tower would provide a wonderful vantage point of seeing...without being seen.

Feeling absolutely no moral failings for his stalkerish behaviour, he stealthily moved to the optimal position in which to hear the husky tones of who he suspected was the most beautiful person he would ever encounter in his entire life.

Bringing her scarf up to his nose, he gently inhaled her lustrous scent and laid his cheek against the cool marble of the entrance pillar, angling his ear so as to hear her conversation.

She seemed...deflated, from what he could tell from her posture. Her confident and sexy presence throughout the previous hour was gone and in its place was a woman who looked as if the world had just been taken from her.

_God...What could have happened? I hope she is okay._

He could only make out some of her whispered strained conversation.

'...wore you scarf...didn't tell me what to expect...so handsome...not single...meeting Jake later...'

_Not single?_

_Jake?_

_Handsome Jake?_

_Handsome Jake who she is meeting later?_

_**FUCK MY LIFE**_

**CHAPTER Eleven – Part One**

A small part of him couldn't believe how bereft he felt.

_In real time, he had only spent one afternoon with this woman, the rest was all one sided worship of an imagined idol. _

_I mean, what was I expecting? That we would suddenly go out for coffee and then date and marry and have babies and grow old together and- _

_Damn. _

_That was what I was expecting._

As he made his way slowly back up to his office, he didn't take note of any passing surroundings.

He didn't notice his two partners as they left the building and caught up with a brunette woman who was sitting by herself on the staff benches.

**CHAPTER Eleven – Part Two**

He went through the motions as he followed his after work routine, with the exception of a review meeting with Tanya. She had conveniently left before he could return upstairs and now he wouldn't get the chance for retribution for two weeks as she was on vacation as of this evening.

He listlessly packed his things, and walked down to the car lot.

He mechanically switched on the radio in his car and drove to the beat of an unknown song, the angry yet plaintive notes of the ballad acting as a temporary voice to overwhelming emotions to the otherwise silent and tense man sitting in the wheel of the fancy car.

He looked forlornly at his impressive drive and the grand sweeps and curves of his home and felt suddenly desolate at the thought of entering his abode, alone.

Always alone.

He wandered through his rooms and ritualistically twitched his curtains closed and put all connections to the outside world temporarily at bay.

He clicked the button of the remote control and watched as his goddess appeared on the screen.

Her happy features were glowing with health and vitality, her beautiful voice communicating a clever and pithily written dialogue that somehow just..._went_...with the sexy and enthralling movements of her fingers as they started to remove the clothes from her body.

Needing to be as close to her as possible, he swiftly walked to the entertainment system and knelt on the floor, sweeping his fingers in a loving caress over the creamy lines of her body, imagining how he would play her body if he had that privilege.

As she continued her presenting, he listlessly sat on the floor and stared into her beautiful chocolate brown eyes, only dimly noticing the hot, salty tears that ran down his face.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

As he finished his solitary meal for one, alone in his expansive kitchen, he stared at the picture of Bella he had saved on his phone.

_There has to be more to it. There has to be. Please let me have another chance. Please let me just not be alone anymore._

Staring intently, he almost dropped the phone onto the hard marble tile when it suddenly rang with an incoming text message.

Jasper: Hey Edward! Are you up for joining us and the girls tonight? They are meeting a couple of their girlfriends later on so I was thinking that we could shoot some pool or something. Let me know. It's been ages since we've really hung out man! J.

As he read it, he looked around at his surroundings and suddenly felt that anything would be better than spending another Friday night alone in his house. Gathering his courage, before he could change his mind, he quickly replied.

Edward: Yes. Text me the details and I will meet you there. Looking forward to seeing everybody. E.

At least he had the company of fine friends to look forward to tonight.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

As he made his way to the bar, he ordered a Newcastle and smiled at the bitter but pleasing taste of the relic of his student days. He surveyed the laid back bar/restaurant with a keen architectural eye and found everything quite pleasing. The lines, the proportions, colours: it was all rather neatly done.

_I could have done it better._

He looked around for his friends and after a couple of minutes fruitless searching, he spied the tell-tale sign of his friends gleaming blonde locks.

_No way that isn't out of a bottle. Just For Men my ass. _

He caught Jaspers eye and made his way through the throng of people and saw that his friends and their partners were all gathered around a high table with stools. He didn't recognise some of the crowd at the table, but he reasoned that he could only make out vague postures and the odd limb from this distance.

'Hey Edward! Come and join us mate!' Emmett boomed, in the voice which the school choir mistress had lamented.

He was in receipt of a man hug when he suddenly caught a whiff of beautiful strawberries.

He whipped around and found himself face to face with chocolate brown eyes.

He had never been so disappointed in his life.

**CHAPTER Twelve – Part One**

He had never been so disappointed in his life.

The sweet strawberry scent was still beguiling his olfactory senses, dulling his reaction time as he gazed into the familiar chocolate brown eyes.

Silky dark hair was draping down her shoulders, the soft light of the bar highlighting its lustrous qualities.

The eyes gazing into his were narrowed with myriad unpleasant nuances, disgust and malice clear in the frank, open gaze.

He truly felt as if the deities he had been praying to lately should come with a money back guarantee on unsatisfactory destinies.

Emmett noticed his strange silence and smiled a rather mischievous smile, taking in the frosty rapport of the man and woman facing him.

'Hey Edward! I don't think you two have met yet? This is one of Rosie and Alice's very good friends!'

A slightly mannish hand was roughly extended to him, deliberately squeezing the fingers in a semblance of friendly acquaintance.

He winced as he looked into the somehow familiar chocolate brown eyes and again caught a flash of strawberry deliciousness as it wafted from the sharp movements of that long silky dark hair.

Emmett continued the introduction.

'So Edward, I'd like you to meet Jacqueline, or as her friends call her, Jake. I think you might know Jake's cousin Bella? You had a meeting with her this afternoon I think?'.

**CHAPTER Twelve – Part Two**

Talk about a study in contrasts.

His keen and practiced eye gazed over the stocky form of Bella's cousin, such a difference from her slender, petite beauty.

Jake had the same colour of eye, lustrous hair and beguiling scent.

There the similarity ended.

Maybe they use the same shampoo.

Where Bella was slight, Jake was tall.

Where Bella was curvy, Jake was more athletically stocky.

Where Bella possessed slender shoulders and hands, Jake was broad shouldered and strong of hand (shake).

Where Bella had warm and welcoming eyes, Jakes' were cold and calculating.

As he flexed his hands, he tried to hide the wince he was sure would be seen as Jake let go of his hand.

What the hell is her problem? Do I offend all women with chocolate brown eyes these days?

'Hi Jacqueline, it is nice to meet you. My name is Edward Cullen. Are you having a good night?' was all he could think to say, at least within the realms of civilised conversation. What he really wanted to say might have sent her running for the hills.

Are you close to Bella? Do you think she would like me for a friend? A boyfriend? A husband? A baby-daddy? Please tell me she is single. Does she like Italian cuisine? What is that beguiling scent she wears.

Yeah.

Sadly not Edward.

'Well, I _was_ having a good night, till _very_ recently,' Jake sneered, her voice entirely unlike the lovely Bella's. It helped to clear his mind of the lustful haze it went into whenever he thought of the beautiful brunette. He was surprised at the open hostility in her attack, when all he had been was friendly thus far.

'Um...well...that is sad news. I er...hope that your night improves...Um I'm just going to go over there and talk to my friend Jasper...' he quickly moved out of her line of sight, therefore missing the quick movements of Emmett's giant hands as he gathered Jake into his confidence.

He clutched at his beer and took several deep gulps, knowing that his tattered confidence would prove utterly distinguished if he was again attacked by an attractive woman without known cause. He escaped to the lee of Jasper's subtle and easy going companionship, knowing from experience that he could easily jump into more relaxed conversation with him than with the boisterous, fun loving Emmett. He loved them both equally but he was in desperate need of Jaspers calming influence at the moment.

He needed the presence of good friends tonight.

He needed to not be alone.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

As the night wore on, he felt himself settling into a slightly mellower version of Edward Cullen, a welcome change from the whirlwind of fraught emotions from recent events. He enjoyed an hour of easy going conversation on interesting but non personal topics with Jasper and Alice, and was only mildly surprised when he noted Alice continually checking her phone, a frown on her normally chirpy face.

He told a heavily edited version of today's events, leaving out his knowledge of his client's profession and his supreme enthusiasm for said profession, deciding it was definitely not a topic to be entered into lightly, in a public place.

He wasn't ashamed, he absolutely wasn't, but it was a private matter that he would explain to his friends as and when he deemed it appropriate.

He expressed to his friends gentle enquiries a keen and appreciative review of the meeting with Bella, failing to omit his personal regard for her as a person as well as her plans. He shyly told them how gutted he had been at the quick departure due to the underhand machinations of his soon-to-be-fired personal assistant, a topic which he knew would incite Alice to an amusing wrath.

'She did WHAT?! WHAT A BITCH! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON HER! Does she really think she can treat my friends like that?' she shouted, her little body actually vibrating with the fury she felt at Tanya's failed seduction attempts.

'I know Alice! I have been waiting for a justified catalogue of evidence to present to Human Resources and now that I have witnesses in the form of the lovely Bella, I can do just that! I just wish she would get it into her thick head that I would never date her. She is false, unpleasant, calculating and...BLONDE*!' he yelled out passionately, only to fling a hand to his mouth as he realised how much of his personal feelings he had revealed to his audience.

Alice seemed to be vibrating with triumph now.

Her grinned what could only be described as a Cheshire grin as she put her hands on her hips, bright blue eyes blazing with mischievous excitement.

'Firstly, don't let Rosalie hear you say that about blondes! The woman has a frigging PhD Edward! And secondly, what exactly do you mean by the phrase 'the lovely Bella', Mr Cullen?' she asked.

I'll need some liquid courage for this.

Downing his beer, he prepared himself for some brutal honesty of the most personal kind.

'I mean Alice that she is the loveliest thing I have ever set my eyes on and that I was an inch away from asking if we could go out for dinner together when Tanya's voice sounded through the intercom. So I guess I could sum up by saying, dear Alice, that when I say 'the lovely Bella', I mean the most beautiful, natural and sweetest woman I have ever met and would dearly like to meet again!'

He heard a choked cough behind him and looked to Alice, surprised to see that both she and Jasper were nearly red in the face from barely contained glee and excitement.

'Edward, I am going to reply to you simply with the following two words. TURN AROUND.'

**CHAPTER** Thirteen

He heard a choked cough behind him and looked to Alice, surprised to see that both she and Jasper were nearly red in the face from barely contained glee and excitement.

'Edward, I am going to reply to you simply with the following two words. TURN AROUND.'

So he did.

He caught only a brief glimpse of the delectable Bella Dywer...Swan...Goddess before his vision was suddenly filled with cream and rose's skin, silky long hair and seductive brown eyes as they quickly closed the small space between them and firmly placed her lips against his.

_What the fuck was in that beer?_

He was living in the moment, feeling her plump lips curve into a wicked smile, even as she gently kissed along the corner of his mouth, her soft hands coming up to thread into his copper locks, lightly scratching the nape of his neck in a way that made him envy any of Bella's pets.

He quite literally, could not move. He was proud that he was able to string a coherent thought together.

His hands seemed frozen somewhere between the space of her hips and ribs, clutching feebly against the empty space surrounding her luscious body.

What the hell is going on? Why am I even asking? Why am I talking to myself when ISABELLA SWAN is kissing me of her own volition?

Shut up Edward and kiss her back moron!

The moan he let out was positively indecent as he brought his strongly muscled arms around her petite womanly self and actually lifted her so that she was sitting on the tall stools, barricading her against the high topped table, trapping her in his sure limbs.

They were entirely unaware and uncaring of their audience, but if they had, they would have been met with more smug smirks and mischievous grins of triumph than the human stomach can stand.

It was a good thing they didn't care.

The fact that he had only known her for day didn't matter, neither did the suddenness of her surprising appearance and attack of mouth melting kisses.

He only knew that it felt right.

He only knew that for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel alone.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

At some point, a small rational part of his mind was screaming at him for some clarification of the sudden wonderful turn of events.

He eased back slightly and gazed down at the lightly blush stained face of his doe eyed goddess. Much to his delight, the twinkle was back in her chocolate browns as they gazed up at him with what he could only hope was the mirrored reflection of his own admiration, lust and hope for more.

They grinned shy grins at each other, each holding the others hands tightly, as they braced themselves for a much needed conversation that didn't involve tongues.

_Well I suppose it does involve tongues...Bella's tongue...my tongue on Bella's cl- FOCUS EDWARD!_

'So I guess we should talk huh?' she wryly chuckled.

**CHAPTER** Fourteen

Glittering brown eyes seemed to smile of their own accord, talking without words with the verdant green eyes who had suddenly twinned with them.

Noses butted playfully against the other as lived in their own bubble, which at the same time was their own private universe. Although they might not have known it, their heart beats had settled into an almost perfect rhythm, the gentle cadence of the unspoken words being uttered between their eyes acting as the perfect stabilising beat.

'Hi, I'm Edward Cullen. I think you are beautiful and would love to get to know you better. I am single and have never been affiliated in any way with persons of the name of Tanya', he grinned at her, delighting in the blush that heightened her natural scent.

_Tanya...uch. Oh wow, in fact she does have one very good use. She gets rid of a boner quickly enough. Maybe she deserves a raise for that fact alone. NOT._

She closed her eyes, the skin crinkling adorably at the corners of her eyes and mouth, the absolute relief and joy at the reciprocation of her feelings, clearly evident to him as they stood/sit together.

He was still barricading her.

Yeah I should feel bad about that. Let's all hold our breath and wait for that to happen.

'Hello, Edward Cullen. My name is Isabella Marie Swan Dwyer. You can call me Bella. I think that you are one of the most handsome men I have ever met and have to confess that I may have a slight crush on you. I would love to get to know you better as well,' she said in a slightly lower tone than her usual husky tones.

Oh my god...she has a sex a phone voice! Shit! I love this woman!

Their intense and private stares were rudely interrupted however when he felt two sharp pains from his partners, one elbow in the shoulder, the other in the gut.

'What the fu...rack guys? What was that for?' he growled, inadvertently tightening his hold on the lovely Bella, instinctively protecting her from the possible threat. Such an action was clearly lost on no one but him, as his friends widened their eyes at the evidently deep rooted feelings that were established so quickly between the prospective couple. As for the woman in question, only her closest friends and family would know what the fist to her chest and watering of her eyes would truly signal.

Emmett was the first to recover and attempted to be his usual boisterous self, both in an attempt to diffuse the slightly awkward tension between the different factions of the group of friends and also to remind Edward that they were in a public place, and might want to make such precious memories with his 'lovely Bella' in a place less riveted with enquiring (and smug) eyes.

'So Eddie! You and the lovely Bella seem to be getting along well, which is good, especially considering that she-...OOMPH! Rosie, what'd you do that for?' he complained, rubbing the growing sore spot on his rather large head that the blonde to his next had just walloped with her deceptively muscled arm.

Edward dropped his growling stance for a moment to notice that Bella's eyes had gotten wide, her face quickly losing its natural pallor to be replaced by the stark whiteness of unadulterated panic.

_What the hell is happening here?_

He was saved from confusion though when the blonde interloper resumed her diversionary tactics, utilising a well employed tactic. Distraction, distraction, distraction.

'Emmett, I hardly think they need your running commentary. Go and get me a drink, in fact go and get everyone a drink – AND YOUARE BUYING YOU GREAT LUG!' she shouted, but then appeased him slightly by whispering something in his ear that actually made the tips of his ears redden and a boyish grin appear on his face. He skipped off merrily to the bar, the crowd quickly dispersing around him, eager to avoid an altercation with the skipping giant.

Edward and Bella both looked at each other and just laughed.

And laughed.

And then laughed some more.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

He had such a good night.

He had enjoyed great company, great conversation and had even enjoyed some of his favourite tipple.

_Oh and I also met my future baby-mama. Yay. _

They had talked and talked well into the night, ignoring everyone else as a point of principle. They carefully avoided too personal a topic, both of them knowing they had secrets to share, just at the right time. Neither felt shame in their secrets, more just apprehension at how to reveal something so unconventional to the other.

_So, I know all about you Bella. I know you are a great conversationalist, a great journalist. I know you graduated with a Masters' in journalism and a minor in psychology. I know that your eyes are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I know you live with your father. I know that your tits are the most tantalising mounds of perfection I've ever dreamed of. I know that...__**EDWARD SERIOUSLY YOU SHOULD PUT A DOLLAR IN A TIN FOR EVERY TIME YOU GET A BONER FROM BELLA**__. You'd feed a small starving European principality on the funds._

Yeah that's the conversation you have the first time you really get the chance to talk to the woman you suspect you might be falling for.

_**NOT.**_

As the bar emptied near closing time, they both seemed to come out of their private universe and looked askance at each other, clearly unwilling to part company without at least the means for continuing their conversation.

'Um...Bella? I know you said I could use your number for project business, but I could I maybe use it for...personal calls?' he asked of her, praying to those deities again for her acquiescence.

She merely grinned her Cheshire-Cat grin and nodded happily, glad that he had asked just the very question that she had been about to.

'Of course Edward. I would really like that. Maybe we could talk on the phone tomorrow?' she asked somewhat shyly. The coquettish look on her face made it all the more difficult for him to anticipate their impending departure from each other's company.

'Definitely, Bella,' he said, eagerly giving her his phone to swap numerous details with each other. He excused himself while she did the all important task and left his phone in her capable hands as he visited the men's room.

On his return, he noted the slightly odd look she had on her face, almost delirious in bemusement and happiness.

Oh well, I probably look the same.

She handed him back his phone, informing him that she had put in all her details. Her fingers lingered on his hand, softly stroking the calloused skin for a few moments, delighting in the tingles it sent straight up his arm.

With the promise of seeing her soon and talking even sooner, it made it a little easier to walk her to the cab that would take her home. He discreetly handed the driver a couple of hundred dollar bills with a returned promise to 'get his lady home safely'.

As she drove away, he stood on the sidewalk, relishing in her goodbye wave and silly faces. She even went so far as to smush her nose up against the screen, unleashing the full effect of her Cheshire-Catness.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

As he closed the front door, he allowed himself to walk to his comfy couch and collapse in delighted exhaustion.

I got the girl.

Woohoo.

He forced his tired eyes open and pulled out his phone to look at her contact details and image. He smiled at the picture she had taken of herself in the bar to save for her contact entry in his phone. She was all blushes and twinkling cocoa eyes in it. He quickly set it as his background and alarm images.

Who wouldn't want that to be the first thing they see when they get up in the morning?

He quickly looked at the details and smiled at the extensive fields she had filled out: emails, work email, Skype, twitter, msn, phone, home phone, blog, facebook, myspace, bebo.

The works.

He grinned at it and decided that he was very much not alone at that moment.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

He nodded off for a while and actually dozed, but was startled to hear the dulcet tones of Beyonce's 'If you like it then you should have put a ring on it' blare from the phone which was still clutched in his hands.

All he saw in his tired state was Bella's name flashing and the time of 12.01 on his phone before he hit 'answer'. He would only later realise the song that she had set for her ring tone.

He put the phone up to his ear and prayed that he wasn't dreaming.

'Bella? Is that you?' he asked sleepily.

If it is a dream, then please don't let me wake up.

'Hey Edward...well you did say we could talk tomorrow...and it technically is tomorrow now, isn't it?'

**CHAPTER** Fifteen

A/N Wee bit of a time jump, but not too long.

After that first instance, they talked.

And talked.

They talked a lot.

They talked on the phone, during the night, during lunch breaks. They used instant messaging, Skype, Facebook, texts...and this morning he had even decided to try his hand at writing an old fashioned letter.

_Is it too early to call it a love letter yet?_

They talked during dates and outings to the cinema, museum, restaurants, beautiful parks and even one memorable trip to the skating rink.

_Note to self – Bella Swan falls easily._

Yes, it was safe to say that he had never had more satisfying and memorable conversations in his life than he did with this goddess of a woman who had somehow entered his life.

Very satisfying and memorable.

Particularly the conversation they had last night, when half way through the phone call she had deigned to inform him that she was currently in the bath.

Hmm...warm, wet and naked Bella...yummy.

Very satisfying indeed.

Aside from their insane sexual chemistry, their constant communication and joy in each other's company was firmly founded in 'getting to know each other'. He wanted to fall in love with every last freckle of Bella Swan, at the natural and beautiful beat which they were somehow establishing with no words required.

Consequently, they were discovering the delights of innocent ways to make love. They held hands as they strolled through the park and cuddled on the comfortable seats in the cinema. They had deep goodbye kisses as he said goodbye to her, although so far this had not involved meeting her Father, an activity which she had informed him she would like to do with advance notice.

'But don't you think he might feel as if I am taking advantage of you without even the decency to introduce myself to him? You're my girl Bella, surely you want me to meet your Father?' he asked her, trying to keep the hurt tones from his voice. He was keen to introduce her to his family, but was waiting for some signal from her that they had reached that point in their relationship.

'Edward, it's not that I don't want to introduce you. There are mitigating circumstances – can we please just leave it at that? I will arrange for us all to have dinner soon, but I need time to prepare for it. Besides, I am sure that there are things you are not telling me either,' she finished on a somewhat mischievous grin, her dark eyes twinkling brighter than the stars that framed the backdrop of their nocturnal picnic.

Before he had time to think, he was suddenly in receipt of delicious Bella kisses and their conversation was cut short.

Yes, it was safe to say that Edward Cullen was definitely not alone anymore.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

Edward obviously had to adapt his routine now that this fabulous woman had entered his life. She necessitated the need for change in nearly all aspects of his daily life. They had not yet entered each other's homes but instead had been dating for the past ten wonderful days in various public locales, excepting tonight's beautiful picnic under the stars (a risky endeavour of a 'surprise' date which had paid off when she let forth an Alice like squeal).

They had not much advanced in their physical relationship, each keen to let things progress at a natural pace.

This had mostly positive consequences such as allowing him to appreciate and hope that the twinkle she had in her cocoa eyes were evidence of the same deep loving feelings he felt in his own breast.

Unfortunately it also meant that his cock was nearly as communicative as they had been recently.

His fund for the starving European principality was reaching proportions roughly equivalent to the national GDP of several small developing nations.

And that his right hand was chafing like a bitch.

I'm glad I invested in hand cream...strawberry hand cream...I love you !

After he had dropped Bella off, he drove home, uncomfortably shifting in his seat as his erection made its ire at being continually ignored by the lovely Bella, known. He quickly closed up the car and house and made his way to the television room for the one part of his routine that he had not changed in the past ten days (excepting for time, obviously).

He twitched the curtains shut and cut himself off from the world temporarily (regrettably even from real-time Bella). He drew his shirt off and was surprised to find that there were several pale smudges on the front. He frowned slightly and examined it, recognising after a moment that it was stage makeup.

What the hell.

That's weird. It must have been from when I was kissing Bella.

She had been wearing a delectable low cut tank top and opened lumber shirt, her peek a boo cleavage trying even his chivalrous gaze. And with that thought in mind, he switched onto his digital Bella via the delicious and serendipitous discovery of DVR, all the while adding to the starving European principality fund.

**CHAPTER** Sixteen

He stood looking out of his office windows and took a moment to appreciate the natural beauty of the setting sun over the vast urban landscape. The titan-like towers were a pinnacle of man's genius, a celebration of some of the more shining moments of human endeavour.

_And I get to add my own achievements among them._

_That's kind of cool._

He moved his gaze to the walls of his office, peppered with both artistically framed shots of his completed projects and glass fronted certificates and diplomas which heralded to the known world the years of effort which had gone into building his empire.

And now he had someone to share it with.

He could not believe how well things were going with Bella and actually tried to not to, for fear that over thinking would somehow complicate things.

All he knew was that they were moving at a beautiful pace and were slowly revealing their inner most selves to each other. Their physical relationship was slowly starting to express such feelings and they often had to rip themselves apart during heated make out sessions at the end of their dates. He had the idea that there were two markers that would signal the descent into a serious, fully fledged relationship. These would be meeting parents and marking serious time in the others personal space.

Well, outwardly anyway.

He still had the bemusing confession to make that he was as enthusiastic a fan of her work as she seemed to be of his. She carefully skirted any topics related to her work, but then again they had only been dating for two weeks, so he reasoned that they had time before their secrets became dirty little secrets.

Time was a funny thing.

It seemed as if his time of being alone in the world was but a hazy memory and that Bella had created a world all their own in the short time they had been together. He often liked to get lost in her beautiful long hair, imagining himself battling a dragon or other deadly foe just for the favour she would bestow upon him.

And in return he wanted to bestow a favour upon her.

As he gazed back out of the window, he reached into his pocket and covetously stroked the soft velvet of the jewellery box that was currently housed there, smiling at the sudden rays of the setting sun that stole across the landscape and settled on the staff marble benches outside of Cullen Towers. As if marked by fate or merely some wonderful serendipitous moments, the failing sun caught the sparkle of beautiful mahogany hair that he could just about make out from his vantage point.

Grinning to himself, he quickly gathered his belongings and made his way out of the office and down to the lobby. Tanya-the-Terrible had conveniently sent in a doctor's note to cover her absence for the foreseeable future, so when he passed the desk of his personal assistant, he was glad to be able to smile a genuine grin at Quill, her temporary replacement, on loan from his Mother's interior design business. He would try and make it permanent if his Mother could forgive him.

As he impatiently waited for the lift to carry him down to his Goddess, his fated one, he again felt for the velvet box in his pocket, receiving a feeling of calmness and security from the gesture. He passed his employees housed on the ground floor, unaware of the pleasure it gave them to see their boss looking so happy and carefree lately.

He quickly strode across the lobby, trying his hardest not to skip.

_Emmett will never let that go._

He made his way outside, keen to get to his Bella but stopped short when he saw her eagerly embracing a tall man with dark hair.

He felt a sharp pain in his chest as she suddenly met his eyes with panic clear in their expression.

**CHAPTER** Seventeen

_Why is she panicking? _

_Does she honestly think so little of me that I would be freaked out at seeing her hugging someone?_

He struggled to reconcile his thoughts in the short time it took a blushing Bella to stand on her tiptoes and hurriedly whisper something to the recipient of her friendly embrace. They separated, and Edward got a decent look at the dark haired figure.

He had Bella's eyes, a twitching thick moustache and deep, deep lines carved into the skin around his eyes, but otherwise he looked like a happy, healthy guy.

_This must be Bella's father._

_So glad that the moustache isn't hereditary._

He moved his gaze from a slightly calmer Bella to the appreciatively amused gaze of the tall gentleman who had so recently been embracing her. Not wishing to appear rude or ungracious, he calmly strode towards the kind looking man and felt a real smile adorn his face at the sight of the man who had helped bring his girl into being.

He held out his hand in a friendly gesture, minus any macho bullshit and gripped the warm digits that were proffered to him.

'Hi there! My name is Edward Cullen...um if you don't believe me just look at the sign,' he half smirked, pointing to the somewhat grandiose lettering that adorned the marble arches of the entrance hallway, allowing a slight blush to grace his face to highlight a little self mockery.

Bella's father simply grinned and tightened his hold on Edward's hand briefly, allowing a small glint of silver from an identity bracelet to catch his attention.

'Hello, Edward. It's nice to finally meet you. I was starting to wonder if you were another imaginary boyfriend,' he finished on a snicker. An angry and embarrassed huff from Bella, brought both men's gaze to her attention.

'Dad quit it! Er...hey Edward. Well I guess you can probably tell that this is Dad...um Charlie Swan. I didn't know you were going to be in town Dad?' she finished on a slightly accusatory stare.

Charlie apparently did not even have the grace to look slightly abashed as he merely twitched his moustache and offered his version of an acceptable explanation.

'Well Bella, you knew I was going to the benefit concert with Billy and Jake tonight. I must say, I was surprised to hear that you backed out of it, considering...well...er you know. But I guess I can understand why...' he shrugged, gesturing half heartedly to a now completely confused Edward Cullen.

The entire colour swiftly vanished from her beautiful face and sweat instantly beaded along her forehead. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before anything would come out.

'I...cough...DAD, leave it alone. Just leave it. Seriously,' she gestured at Charlie.

_What the fuck is going on? Have I entered the twilight zone? What is so serious about a benefit concert? Am I missing something? How long have I been standing here talking to myself? Shut-up Edward!_

He focused his gaze on a sheepish looking Charlie and an irate looking Bella, although he was glad to see that he colour had swiftly returned to her cheeks. He paused for a moment to gently caress the velvet of the box currently housed in his pocket and was both relieved and excited to think of his mark being on her lovely form in the near future.

'Let's all start again, shall we?' he said.

All three participants of the conversation looked eminently glad as they comically remade their introductions.

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They had passed an enjoyable evening, dining alfresco in the beauty of urban twilight and then listening to the smooth sounds of local jazz artists in his favourite basement lounge. He had marked her continual refusal of all things containing alcohol and observed that she had an extremely healthy and balanced diet.

_Well, she has to have gotten that body somehow. _

He had enjoyed the freedom of gently stroking her silky little hands and of running his fingers playfully through the ends of her hair. She would shiver a little now and then, clearly enjoying the effect of his gentle ministrations. Under the twinkling lights of the basement ceiling and highlighted by soft table top candle light, her features were luminous and mysterious, the cocoa of her eyes twinkling and singing a thousand different secrets with which to beguile him. The flickering flames seemed to bring her hair to life and he was momentarily lost as he chased the fiery highlights through the cascading locks of mahogany silk.

They had whispered gentle words all night, commenting on the ambience, the performances of the musicians, how their day had gone.

It had only gotten slightly awkward when he raised the issue of the strangeness of his introduction with Charlie. She immediately stiffened and raised somewhat fearful eyes to his verdant green gaze.

'Edward, I know I really don't have a reasonable excuse right now, but can you please just let me tell you things on my own terms...I will tell you soon...I just don't want to jeopardise our rela-...um whatever this is between us if I tell you all about my past, all at once. There are things about me that you don't know...' she trailed off, absent mindedly running her fingers in a soothing manner over her chest and slightly in between her décolletage.

_Was she going to say relationsh-...hush...BELLA BOOBIES!_

He was effectively distracted to drop all potentially awkward conversation starters.

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As he drove out of the city, Bella in tow, he suddenly realised that he didn't want the night to end.

He didn't want to let her go.

He cocked his head and gazed at her lovely profile, watching her watch the speeding lights of the urban night life. Diamond bright surfaces bounced off her skin, giving her the brief appearance of starlight.

_Beautiful._

'Bella, I...don't want to end the night here. Would you like to come over to my place?'

**CHAPTER** Eighteen

They both held hands as they walked from the garage, Edward noting that she was rubbing her thumb against his pointer finger in a small rotating motion. A momentary glance showed her to be deep in thought and apparently unaware of her body's actions. The hand which he was not holding was gently fisted against her chest, rubbing soothing motions into the area between her breasts and the harder part of her sternum.

_She does that a lot._

Then again, he was not one to talk. If he was to detail the repetitive movements of his body's routine, he would likely send her running to the political correctness brigade.

'Are you alright honey?' he asked gently, easing a few pet names into the soft cadence of his intimate conversation. He wanted to be familiar with her, to put him inside her heart, just as she was making her own space in his.

She startled a little at his use of the affectionate name and once again the beautiful blush adorned her perfect features.

_God, she just looks so alive. _

As they walked through the front door, she squeezed his hand reassuringly and brought her mouth up to his ear, having to stand on her tip toes to reach.

'I'm more than alright, baby,' she said, playfully flicking his ear with her soft warm tongue.

_Immediate boner. Fuck. _

'I'm just so glad to be here with you. People don't realise how short life is sometimes. They should just grab opportunities while they can,' she whispered, her voice husky with surprisingly strong emotion.

Already discombobulated from all of the ear flicking, he was immediately in receipt of yummy Bella kisses and an armful of sexy Bella curves that wrapped around his body. He carried her into the nearest room his brain could find, serendipitously enough, the entertainment room where he had carried out all of his other (albeit one sided) Bella interactions.

Except this time he was getting the best front row seat that money could buy.

_Does that mean I need to change my TV subscription? SHUTUP you twit – BELLA KISSES! BELLA BOOBIES! Better than bacon bagels..._

He lay her flat out on his sinfully sumptuous couch, her little body almost sinking entirely into the squishy fabric. He carefully propped his body over hers, bearing his weight on his arms so as to not crush her, before bringing his nose to hers and indulging in some sweet Eskimo kisses.

'I'm so glad to be here with you, Edward' she breathed out, fanning her gorgeous strawberry scent to him in thick waves. He butted his nose against hers at her sweet words and brought her entire body around to lay next to his on the large couch. They comfortably fit side by side on the comfy cushions and he brought her deep into his embrace, bringing his arms right round her and enfolding her legs within his, eager just to press his heart close to hers, to feel the rhythm of that vital organ beat as one.

'I'm so glad to be here with you too,' he whispered into her hair.

**CHAPTER** Nineteen

He woke up slowly, his nose buried in delicious smelling hair. His barely conscious mind was slow to process much beyond the fragrant assault on his senses. His arms were wrapped around a warm figure, his hands and legs encasing her quite nicely. A soft sigh into his chest was enough for him to realise that he was pressed snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug to all of the places of Bella's body that featured extensively in the cinematic portion of his masturbatory explorations. He eased himself as far back into the cushions as possible, keen to avoid rubbing up against her enticing form any more than necessary.

_Yeah that doesn't sound convincing, even to my inner monologue. I so wouldn't rubbing all up and down Bella's bouncy bits..._

He could only be thankful that his outwardly spoken cadence did not reflect the entirety of his sexual predilections and somewhat obsessive thoughts on his girl.

The girl in question suddenly opened big-bambi eyes and startled a little when she realised her current location. It was only a momentary reaction, but it was enough to raise sufficiently panicked emotions in him.

_Please don't let her regret any time we spend together. I don't think I could bear it. I really would give up masturbating for that cause. _

He eased somewhat when he felt her burrow further into his eager embrace, hitching her curvy leg over his hip and shifting them slightly so that he was putting more of his weight onto her warm, willing body.

'Hi there,' she whispered shyly, peeping with brown eyes and blushing cheeks, firmly cementing herself in the nest of his heart. He smiled back at her silly, lovely greeting, adoring the slight rough husk to her just-woke-up-voice.

He tightened his hold on her and butted her nose playfully with his, before answering her somewhat unspoken entreaty.

'Hi there baby. I was just thinking how good it feels to hold you like this. I like the way you fit in my arms. They seem to be made in just the right Bella size,' he told her in a soothing voice, before gently capturing her plump lips in a luxuriously slow kiss. A soft moan was immediately emitted from said lips and he finally gave into the urge he had been battling since had awoken and eagerly wove his fingers in and around her thick, silky tresses, adoring the feel of it running through and along his long, rough fingers. He captured her top lip and gently sucked it into his mouth, alternating this motion with her bottom lip, before gently starting a dance with his tongue, soft and shallow, into her accepting warmth. Fingers rubbed smoothly along his brow, tracing his eyebrow and closed lids. They grasped his ears gently and rubbed a sinful motion behind the lobe, the sensation almost melting the carefully instilled chivalrous instincts instilled in him by his lady mother.

Both of them drew back and looked into each other's eyes at the same moment. Something primal and gentle was happening between them. A conversation of ten thousand words was passed in the blink of one eye to the next, their gazes telling them everything they needed to know in the moment. With un-practiced grace, he gathered her into his arms and placed her legs over one strong arm (the right...), the other supporting her upper back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry them to what would be _their_ bed by the end of the night.

Stringent dedication to a regimented routine allowed him to move swiftly in the dark house, the dull light of the moon and distantly shining stars being their only luminescence.

_Thank-you, whoever you are, thank-you. I will try to be a better man. Thank-you._

He gazed into her eyes, suddenly seeming huge and luminous in the beauty of the night. With her softly swinging dark hair and beautiful presence of spirit, heart and body, she was the embodiment of the princesses of the cherished chivalric tales from his boyhood. He was her protector, her knight.

And he was going to make her his, in all ways.

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He spread her petite body over the vast expanse of the bed, immediately appreciating the hue of silver in the satiny bedspread that framed her like some beautiful, medieval work of art. Art that he got to touch.

And kiss.

And taste.

And hold.

And embrace.

And love.

She held her arms out to him and drew his head down in between her beautiful breasts, pillowing his head between them. He pressed his head closer to her chest and revelled in the healthy lustre of the strong beat which graced his ear, the most beautiful music he had ever heard in this mortal life. He pressed small slow kisses right above that heart, and let his heart lead for the moment. He was eager to show her the depth of his feelings, at least in some fashion.

She brought her hands up to his head and pulled it gently up so she could meet his gaze. Her lovely glow was magnified in the twinkling light that appeared through the expansive windows, the moon shining a jealous light on these two mortals who were living an eternal moment, making love innocently with their eyes only.

'Edward...this is where I want to be, right at this moment in time,' she whispered, her confident hands beginning the beautiful process of bearing her physical form to his eyes. His movements were momentarily arrested as he watched her, this goddess revealing herself to her most dedicated acolyte.

At her loving gaze, he suddenly felt emboldened to gift her with his token, eager to place a mark on her that would fill her mind with thoughts of him whenever she felt or saw it.

He kissed her heatedly, delighting in the slight confusion that seemed to grace her after he met her lips with his. He gently stopped the progression of her hands and brought them up to his lips, quickly speaking to dispel the look of confusion and hurt that dulled the bright lights that lived in her gaze.

'Bella, there is something I want to give you. I know we haven't known each other very long in the conventional sense, but...I think we have in others,' he finished in a slightly desperate tone, suddenly wanting to establish the sincerity of his feelings for her.

He pulled the velvet box out of his pocket and brought it to her opened palms.

**CHAPTER** Twenty

He might as well have donned a monkey suit and started singing a heavily accented version of God Save The Queen. She looked at him in abject shock, her jaw failing to find purchase in either a closed or open position. After trying and failing several times, she finally made some noise.

'I...I..' she coughed and sputtered.

Silence.

He actually heard a cricket sound in the background and a small portion of his mind was able to wonder where on earth a cricket was living in his pest-controlled house.

_Say something, Bella. _

He raised a shaky hand and eased it through her sweet smelling hair, tucking some silky locks behind her cute little ears. He gathered the rest of the long length in one hand and gently brought it over her shoulders, ensuring that her gaze was focused on him.

'Breathe Bella, it's nothing to worry about, just open it and tell me what you think,' he said, almost begging her to relax. He swiftly brought her into his arms and could feel her heart thumping a sharp tattoo against its twin inside his own chest. He worried at the abrupt speed of her heart, concerned that she might be having a panic attack.

'Breathe with me baby, breathe. In and out. In and out,' he instructed her, tapping his chest in time with the command, gently easing her out of the sharp rapid breathing pattern that her family would know was the onset of a particularly bad panic attack.

She shut her eyes and relinquished her fingers to his and joined the steady beat of their entwined digits against his strong and sure heart. He gradually felt her rapid pulse slow and the abrupt tension of her limbs start to ease. He moved them so that he was sitting against the board, his girl sitting in-between his legs and against his back, her head resting in the sure crook of his shoulder.

'That's it baby. It's just you and me. You're safe here. This is home,' he whispered, almost unaware of the gravity of his words.

She seemed to draw comfort from his words, almost flopping against him, a steady stream of tears running down her face as she succumbed to exhaustion, the innocuous looking box lying unopened beside her right knee. He paid it no attention, focusing instead on the goddess before him, ensuring her protection and safety above his own, almost instinctively.

He held her as she began dozing, her soft sniffled breathing a gentle wind that blew against his damp neck.

Hot and cold breath as she blew against him in her exhausted state.

With tight arms around her, the knowledge that she was safe and protected, he began to quietly hum the melody from Jeff Buckley's 'Hallelujah', a haunting melody which seemed to match the absolute change in tone from their earlier frivolity to the seemingly fated order of actions which had resulted in his embracing this woman in the most intimate fashion possible, super-ceding even that of physical love. He felt that the trust she gave him to ensure her safety in this most vulnerable of situations was a beautiful gift, a butterfly's wing which must not be trampled.

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He continued in this fashion for hours, stroking her hair and back, softly humming the haunting melody. He loved her with his gaze, committing the lines of her body to memory, counting her freckles and moles. He discovered that she had a particular formation of freckles on her right shoulder that almost looked like a map of Britain in the dim light of the night. He also came to discover that Bella talked in her sleep.

'...heart...Charlie cried...Renee not there anymore...worked so hard...Edward Cullen...architecture book...university...scar...' she mumbled at various intervals of her nap, her voice vibrating against the warm dampness of angle between his neck and shoulder.

_Who is Renee? Scar?_

He knew she had secrets that was evident. He wanted her to feel comfortable enough to tell him. All he knew was that she was vibrant, healthy and wonderful. She was gracious and intelligent, witty and verbose whilst being self-deprecating at times. She was a wonderful contradiction of virtues and faults that enamoured him to her.

_I'm yours, Bella._

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She woke slowly, seeming to blink her bambi gaze on him in absolute confusion. The early glow of Saturday morning sun shine filtered through the window, glinting off the lustrous highlights in her messy hair.

_She is so cute._

He repeated his earlier greeting from late the previous nights nap.

'Hi there,' he grinned, playfully indulging in yet more Eskimo kisses.

She grinned at him, clearly still coming out of the blessed realm of the unconscious. But then it happened. He watched with dismay as the events of last night seemed to return to her and she stiffened his embrace, furtively glancing down at the velvet box. He followed her line of sight and sighed sadly, realising that today was perhaps not the day when he would see his mark on her.

_As if that is going to stop me from making her mine._

He threw a throw cushion over the box and drew her into a tight cuddle, effectively rendering them as one entity that just so happened to have multiple limbs.

He whispered soothing words to her, eager to reclaim the gentle rapport which was the usual cadence of the music they made together.

'Bella, just forget everything that is stressing you out. It's just you and me. That's all that matters. Everything else can wait.'

She kissed his neck, obviously aware of morning breath issues, before whispering into his ear, her hot breath tickling the sensitive skin there.

'Okay Edward. It's just you and me, right here.'

He smiled in appreciation of her acceptance of returning to somewhat of a status quo, grinning as an idea came to him for her amusement. He playfully wrestled her onto her back, avoiding pressing his pelvis against hers for the time being, knowing he did not have that much self control.

Pinning her arms above her head he delighted in the dilating of her dark eyes and the stain of her pink blush as it travelled down her cheeks to the flush of her chest.

_Do not come in your pants._

_Do not come in your pants._

_Do not come in your pants._

He growled playfully into her neck before making his gambit known.

'Well actually, there is something I need to tell you. It might be just you and I just now, but pretty soon there are going to be three delicious things in this bed alongside me,' he paused dramatically, trying his damndest to not laugh at her absolute confusion and panic. He brought his lips down to her ears and concluded his prank.

'Pretty soon mia Bella, it's going to be you, me and...bacon bagels and coffee!' he laughed, delighting in the quick hard bursts of laughter she indulged in when she was genuinely amused.

_Hmmm Bella-belly laughs. Not something I thought would go in the wank bank but I have been proved wrong._

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He rushed up the stairs with the precariously balanced tray, savouring the aroma of his favourite breakfast item. He smiled at the picture of the tray, two plates and two mugs set side by side.

_I'm not alone anymore._

Pushing the door open to his bedroom ,he backed into the room, making a grand gesture of his breakfast antics by bowing slightly. He dipped his head and addressed his lady.

'My Lady, here do I bring your food to break the fast and- Bella? Bella what's wrong!?' he asked her urgently, dropping the tray to the floor, uncaring of the contents effects on the stark white carpet. His girl was staring at the contents of the velvet box, her fist clutched tightly to her chest. Her face was red and puffy as she tried to control her breathing. She shakily brought out the classic half heart necklace, the twin of which was residing on his own chest. Each half was engraved with the Latin Amor Vincit Omnia.

Over sobbing cries, he could make out that she was trying to speak.

'Who...who told you Edward? Who told you about the heart transplant?'

**CHAPTER Twenty-three**

_Heart transplant…_

_Heart transplant…_

_Heart transplant…_

His mind might as well have been a scratched LP that was caught playing the two words over and over again.

_Heart transplant…_

_Heart transplant…_

_Heart transplant…_

The two words swirled around in a maelstrom of confusion and agony at the thought of his goddess being dealt a Mortal's pain. He knew very little about the minutiae of major operations…like heart transplants.

_Wait, wait a minute. Did she say that she had a heart transplant? EDWARD FOCUS_

He came back to himself slightly and seemed to recognise the visual data being fed to his brain. Bella was clutching the necklace tightly to her chest, both hands white with the force of the pressure she was exerting. Tears were streaming down her reddened face, splashing down in profuse rivers of salt to the pretty blouse she was still wearing from last night. She too was shaking, so hard in fact that it was obvious even to Edward in his state of devastated confusion that she was about to fall apart.

_Get it together Cullen, your girl needs you._

_Amor Vincit Omnia_

.

Wordlessly he opened his arms to her and she rushed straight into them, cementing herself to his strong presence like a limpet. He was assured by her healthy scent, the glow of youthful vitality about her rosy cheeks. He heard her trying to speak, failing and then trying again.

'Edward…was going to tell you…wrote you a letter…it's in my bag…can't stop shaking…need to calm down…need my medicine' she managed to utter in between panicked breathing.

_Got to calm her, she is going to hurt herself soon. _

He used the same stratagem from last night at her reaction to the sight of jewellery box, hoping she would breath in a regular pattern to forestall the onset of what he was beginning to suspect were regular panic attacks.

'Breathe with me baby. In and out. In and out. Focus on me. That's all that matters. You and me, we're home. In and out, follow the beat with me,' he instructed, tapping his fingers gently against both her chest and his own. She gazed deeply into his earnest eyes and it was clear that she was trying to follow his caring instructions.

She took deep breaths, and finally managed to regulate her rapid breathing. He watched as some of the tension left her stiffened limbs but this also had the effect of sapping her strength. She literally swooned in his arms, her knees failing to hold up her slight weight. He quickly caught her legs in one arm and balanced his precious load in the other before bringing her again to the bed, covering her with the sumptuous coverlet. She weakly tried to keep a hold of him and he hated to leave her for even a moment, but he had to go and get her medicine and his phone.

'Bella baby, I'm just going to go and get your medicine from your bag, and then I'm phoning an ambulance,' he told her in an attempt at a soothing voice, but even he could hear the despairing tension in his accent. A look of utter panic overwhelmed her beautiful feature at his words but he swiftly silenced her attempts to deny such an action as necessary by gently kissing her forehead and betraying the depth of his own feelings in his parting words.

'Bella baby, you're my girl and I love you. Do you really think I am not going to seek medical attention when you are clearly suffering? Do you think I won't do everything in my own goddamn power to make sure that you are as happy as possible? I would walk over fire for you mia Bella, just remember that,' he spoke feverishly.

His declaration was not premeditated and had such an emergency not occurred, he would have perhaps fretted about how to tell her, but as he rushed to fill his important duties of caring for her, he remembered her words from yesterday and felt both comforted and frightened by them.

'_People don't realise just how short life is…'_

He prayed in absolute earnest to a full cohort of deities that the woman he loved was talking philosophically.

_Please let her have a long, healthy life…with me._

**CHAPTER Twenty-Four**

He sat and listened to his own personal physician as he relayed his prognosis to the two gentlemen who were waiting with stiff backs and reddened eyes. Charlie Swan was currently holding his hand tightly in a sure heavy fist.

'Mr Swan, Mr Cullen, Bella is fine. She worked herself up a little and I wasn't happy with her blood pressure when she came in but she is doing better now and if she stays calm throughout the night then I will happily sign her release papers tomorrow. Mr Swan, might I have a word with you in private?' he motioned for Charlie to join him in the lee of Bella's open doorway.

Charlie rose and turned back to look at Edward, gratitude and something akin to understanding written in the brown eyed gaze which so like Bella's as to warm his heart to his man who he barely knew.

'Son, thank-you for taking care of my little girl. You don't know what she has been through and I am glad that you phoned for help as soon as she started panicking. She is so stubborn that she usually refuses help but it only makes me panic in return,' he said to Edward in a rather broken and forlorn voice. It was clear to him that this was the visage of a man who was unable to help his own child, sometimes at that child's own behest.

_I wonder if stubbornness is hereditary._

As he watched them walk away he was left to reflect on the dramatic turn of events that had led to him sitting exhausted in a hospital corridor outside of the room of his Bella.

_He rushed back up the stairs with the large tote bag that Bella had used yesterday, hearing the rattle of a pill bottle at the base of the bag. Upon entering the room again, he noticed that she was sitting up and feeling her pulse, frowning and shaking at her body's rhythm. When she heard his footsteps, she looked up sharply and attempted a wan smile but he didn't miss the pained expression she was wearing and the repetitive move of her fingers over the place where her heart rested inside her body. _

'_Edward…it hurts. It shouldn't hurt, maybe you should phone an amb…' she spoke but was unable to finish as she started to convulse slightly and then fell over in a dead faint, her head banging slightly against the cushioned leather of the large headboard. _

_He had never felt such unadulterated fear in his life, watching the woman he loved passing out for reasons he knew not. He scrambled for his phone and dialled 911, quickly ordering an ambulance to arrive as soon as possible. Not knowing what else to do, he looked through Bella's phone for Charlie's number, knowing that he should be made aware that his child was soon to be paying the hospital a much needed visit. _

_The quick terse conversation that followed only relayed panic from both parties and an assurance that he would ensure the most dedicated of medical attention would be given to Bella. He would phone his personal physician and pay for whatever it took to ensure her every comfort and aid. _

'_Edward can you give me your number so I can phone you when you get to the hospital? If you text me the details I will be there as soon as I can. You will need my signature as Bella's next of kin. And Edward…thank-you son,' he finished on a harsh whisper, his emotions overcoming his ability to speak smoothly. _

'Edward? Are you awake, son? Doctor Gerandy says that we can both sit beside Bella if we are quiet. Do you want to go on in?' Charlie asked, breaking him out of his exhausted, reflective stupor.

He nodded sharply, eager to be as near to her presence as possible.

They moved in silent camaraderie, both looking for succour as the woman they both loved (albeit for different reasons) lay in the hospital bed, looking so small and fragile amidst the coverings and beeping machines.

He was glad to see that her colour had almost returned to normal and that a small smile was gracing her sumptuous lips as she slept. He hoped she was dreaming something beautiful and soothing.

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He jolted from a light doze, his neck screaming in agony as he did so, and looked about in utter confusion for a few moments.

_Why isn't Bella in my arms? Where is she? Where am I?_

And then he turned his head and looked at her, lying safe and warm in the bed he was currently sitting next to. As recent events permeated his conscious mind once more, he quickly took stock of her appearance, and was momentarily satisfied to see her looking healthy and alive. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was 3.30am. Charlie had gone back to his hotel after much persuasion from both him and Dr Gerandy, finally acquiescing when he had faithfully promised to not leave her side for a moment and to call him the instant she woke up or if something happened.

_He had stood from his own chair and staggered slightly under his own weight, an older man who had little strength in that moment. Edward wondered at the ravages of Charlie's face, at the deep lines carved into what was otherwise a relatively youthful body._

_Bella told me he was only in his late forties. He looks about sixty at least. _

_As he made his goodbyes, he had caught Edward's hand up in a firm handshake and had spoken with such emotion that it had nearly brought tears to his own eyes._

'_I know Bella hasn't told you her tale yet Edward. Please don't give up on her. She has had a hard life son, please just continue loving her,' he had croaked before turning around and shuffling out of the room, at that moment in time an aged man suffering the lament of a sick child._

He was brought back to the present by the remembrance of a granola bar in Bella's bag. He was unwilling to leave her side for a moment if necessary, so trips to the canteen were out of the question. He didn't think she would mind if he appropriated her snack, and even if she did, he would buy her a whole fucking Snack Company as recompense.

_So not as good as a bacon bagel._

He sought out the snack and felt it at the bottom of the bag, rubbing alongside a thick sheaf of paper. He pulled both objects out and set the granola bar aside. Trembling slightly, he handled the thick envelope carefully, turning it right side up to see that it was addressed to him.

'Read it, Edward,' he heard a voice croak at him.

He jumped out of his seat, surprised to see that Bella was wide awake and looking at him with a determined fire in her beautiful brown eyes. She reached out a tired arm and held one of his hands in her own small grip, evidently eager to share some form of connection with him. She gently rubbed her thumb in soothing circles along his flexing fingers and repeated her instructions.

'Read it, Edward,' she said.

Nodding his assent, he opened the thick sheaf of papers with one hand and lay the precious sheets on the bed. He scooped up the chair as close as he could to the bed and lay his full, strong arm out next to Bella, hinting that he wanted her to cuddle into it. She smiled her gorgeous smile and cuddled gently into his strong limb, kissing the warm skin above his shirt sleeve. He dropped a kiss onto her forehead and then began to read.

**CHAPTER Twenty-Five**

_**Dear Edward**_

_There are things that I need to tell you about myself…about my past. I need you to understand that I am proud of all that I have achieved in life and that I strive to do everything I set myself with as much effort and grace possible for someone who is as much a klutz as I am. _

_I was born with a congenital heart defect, something that we didn't know about until my teens. I was never a particularly active child, as I got tired easily but apart from that, there was nothing to spark suspicions about my heart. _

_My Mom and Dad were the best parents any child could wish for, Edward. I might have been an only child but I never wanted for anything. My Mom, Renee was my best friend and Dad was a close second. Theirs was a true love story. They had known each other since they were in diapers and had grown up in the very town where Dad still lives, Forks. They dated throughout high school and got married on their graduation night. I swiftly followed barely a year later and they were happily ensconced in a little two up two down house while my Dad trained as a cop in the Forks police force. We didn't have much Edward, but I was raised such that it never really mattered to me. Who needed shiny trinkets or hollow things when I had the kind of familial love that most can only read about._

_Edward, my Mom died when I was twelve years old._

_She was a healthy young woman one minute, shopping in the local supermarket with her beloved daughter and then the next she was lying dead on the hard marble floor, blood flowing fast and hard from her nose._

_I barely remember the days that followed but I do remember coming downstairs to see Dad staring intently at an official looking letter, tears blurring his vision as he tried to take in the words. _

_I had never seen my father cry before._

_He saw me and wordlessly thrust the letter into my hand, asking me to read what he could not. I saw that it was the results of my Moms autopsy and read that her cause of death was listed as fatal brain haemorrhage due to undiagnosed complications relating to an unknown heart defect. As I read out words that I barely understood, Charlie collapsed to his knees and buried his head into my stomach. I was twelve years old and I was helping my big strong Dad into bed, helping to make him food and to make sure he actually kept a semblance of a healthy routine. _

_We don't know if it was my sudden thrust into the role of carer that exacerbated my health defects over the next few years, but I do know that Charlie has never been able to forgive himself, no matter how many times I have tried to tell him otherwise._

_You walk over fire for the ones you love. _

_As I was left in the wake of my beloved Mothers death, I watched as my strong father crumbled into a shadow of his former self. He became very depressed and within a year I saw deep lines beginning to carve themselves into his handsome face. He luckily had a very understanding supervisor who put him onto light duties on an indefinite basis. The monotonous rote of paperwork was my father's only escape from the mournful walls of the family home which he had made with his now deceased soul mate. _

_Do you believe in soul mates, Edward?_

_I do. I've seen it with my own eyes, and I've also seen what happens when you prematurely lose the love of your life. Charlie aged a decade in six months. I quickly grew up then Edward, helping do all the things that Renee used to do, all the while dealing with my own grief._

_I didn't have much of a social life and always felt awkward in my own skin, forgetting the times when Renee would praise my hair or tell me my face was 'classically beautiful'. I was a bit of a loner in high school, never really had many friends. I found solace in reading and many a Saturday you would find me in the escapism of the Forks library, tucked away in the corner near the heaters, an Austen or Bronte in my hands. _

_When I was in my junior year of high-school, I started to have fainting spells. I would easily lose breathe and feel my heart beat wildly at even the mildest of exertions. I tried to hide it but my teachers soon discovered me one afternoon, lying sprawled on the hard wood floor of the school corridors. _

_I was soon sent to hospital and made the sufferer of a barrage of tests (I hate needles…just a heads up). My Dad seemed to forget that we were on a limited income and ordered every test the doctors recommended, telling me that he would be damned if he lost his only remaining brown eyed girl. So they tested and tested until I felt I had no blood left to draw out. _

_I remember the day they told us precisely. It was Thursday afternoon and I was very much annoyed at having to miss my favourite literature class merely due to a fainting spell. I remember I had a craving for some dark chocolate, the really good kind. The lunch that day in hospital was still lying in on a tray, my stomach only allowing small portions of Jell-O to go down without any vomiting. Dad got off early from work as the doctors had phoned him to inform us that the results were in and could he please come down to the hospital. He was sitting in the chair next to my bed, holding my hands tightly in his own as the doctor came in with a grim look on his face. He explained to us that my symptoms had worried him so he had looked at the medical history and noted that Renee had died in part due to a congenital heart defect. After reviewing the test results, he had checked out my history of physical weakness, pale pallor and regular dizzy spells for as long as I can remember. _

'_Bella, you have the same congenital heart defect as your Mother had. Your fainting fits are symptomatic of a gradual weakening of your heart. Your body is working too hard for your heart to keep up, and now it is starting to fail. Bella, Charlie…I'm so sorry, but you both need to be aware of the seriousness of this. Bella needs to be put on the waiting list for a heart transplant with immediate urgency,' the doctor said. I remember watching as he tried and failed to keep the grim look from his face as he offered us what support he could, but I was in too much of a shock to remember much of what happened after that. _

_My Dad went home to an empty house, unmade bed and uncooked dinner with his dying daughter lying in a hospital bed and with a medical bill which exceeded his total assets. _

_Fate can be a bitch sometimes Edward. _

_As I lay in that hospital bed, I wondered at a God who could have robbed me of my mother and was now robbing my father of his only comfort left on this plain. I didn't care so much for my own life as I did for leaving my father with nothing and no one. _

_I was sent to a local hospice for complete respite care, my father unable to cope with my daily needs. I often think that the diagnosis seemed to herald a sharp incline in the deterioration of my health. Perhaps ignorance is bliss. Charlie visited daily and always remembered to bring me a new book or some small treat but I watched with despair as sharper lines began to gouge out his youth and vitality. I had long since given up looking in a mirror, not caring to see the sickly pallor of my own skin and lank hair. I'm afraid I wasn't very sociable in those days but perhaps that's when God decided I needed a little help with my manners. _

_Enter Alice Brandon Whitlock, my new roommate at the hospice. _

_Talk about spitfire! This tiny little sprite of a girl literally bounced in her bed, even as she lay gaunt and sickly with leukaemia. At first I thought she was joking when she told me that she was the same age that I was. She gradually managed to raise my morale as we whispered together at night, gossiping and giggling about everything and nothing. It turns out that her own parents had sadly left her two years ago, passing away in a tragic car accident. They had left her in the capable hands of a loving Aunt along with a ten figure trust fund that she could access once she was eighteen. _

_Edward, I thank fate for the day I met Alice. We became sisters in all but blood and laughed at each other as I grew steadily paler and she gradually combed through the growing stubble on her little head. I truly think I would have died if it weren't for her indominitable spirit. She taught me the first of my true lessons in life. To always seize the day and to try and find the bright spot. She told me about her desires to become a fashion designer and what she would do if she ever got the chance. When she questioned me , I told her that I had always been torn between journalism and psychology but that it was a pipe dream considering my family's financial woes. I'll never forget the deal she made me when I was at one of my lowest points. The day had come for her to leave as she had been responding well to her bone marrow transplants and I could not conceive of her leaving me to explore this whole new life. She sat me down, looked me straight in the eye and asked me what I would like most in the world. _

'_Easy. For me to get healthy, go to college and for Charlie to be provided for,' I answered in sarcastic tones. _

_She merely nodded her little elfin head and told me that if I cheered the fuck up then she would make it happen as soon as she turned eighteen, provided we could go away to the same college. I jokingly pinky-sweared with her, never realising that she was in earnest. _

_As the day of her departure grew nearer, I was rudely awoken from a fitful slumber at four am to a strange beeping sound. I felt something vibrating and it took me a while to realise that it was my transplant pager. I snatched it off the bedside table and looked over to an excited looking Alice who had been awoken as well. Everything seemed to happen so fast after that. I was rushed off to hospital in the early hours of the morning for one of the most major operations that a person could hope for. I dimly remember Charlie holding my hand in his, praying through the entire ambulance ride. He prayed for strength and for the hope that this would be a successful operation. He prayed to thank to devastated family who had so generously given his own broken home such a wonderful gift and promised to thank them in whatever way lay within his power. _

_I was prepared for surgery and as I counted back from ten, the anaesthesias' disappeared in a blink and I was then standing in a white room looking at my mother. My beautiful mother, so alive and healthy again, just like I remembered her. She immediately embraced me and whispered her love of me and Charlie, assuring me that we would all be together one day but that it was not this day. She told me that earthly life is short and to seize every chance and opportunity that presents itself. She told me to love myself, both spirit and body. She told me I was beautiful and that it was fated for Alice and I to meet. With a final kiss, she told me it would be time to wake up soon and that there was a love waiting for me that I could never even dream of, if only lived long enough to see it. _

_I woke up to blurred shadows at first, unable to feel much at all. I dimly heard Charlie telling me over and over that the operation had been a success and that I needed to rest. _

_Things got better Edward. _

_I got my health back and was told that if things improved, I could look forward to going home soon. I was advised that I would need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to take anti-rejection drugs but that I could lead a relatively full life. I could almost hear Renee whispering to me to seize the day and I prayed to God in thanks for this second chance at life. _

_I moved home and was schooled at the house for a while before I gradually gained enough strength to start thinking about the possibility of college. Alice had been a constant companion in my recovery, a few steps ahead of me in that she was rapidly regaining her former zest for life and her energy levels were nearly through the roof. She implored me to consider college options and that she was seriously equipped to finance both of our future careers with the proviso that we live together and continue our beautiful friendship. _

_Like that would be so hard. _

_In earlier days I would have rebuffed such kindness, deeming it as too much, but now I considered otherwise. She had created a special scholarship with the aid of her lawyers which enabled us to go about things formally and had even won the battle with Charlie to pay my medical bills. I enthusiastically made plans for my future academic career with my new sister all the while working my ass off with renewed strength. I made honour roll and volunteered for lots of extracurricular activities that were not too strenuous. I particularly enjoyed the debate team and the school newspaper, quickly establishing myself as their head reporter and editor. I spent my days busy at school with fun new casual friends and spent afternoons with Alice and Charlie as we all made plans for the future. Charlie decided that he would talk about plans with his deputy about more active duties the day I left for college. It was a dual goal for the both of us, something tangible that we could both look towards. _

_One day when I got in from school, close to the end of senior year, I received a very sad letter in the mail. It was from the donor family. My new heart was from a young girl aged sixteen who had been tragically struck by a passing car. She was hard working, popular and very pretty and had been on her way to visit her elderly grandmother when it happened. She had done nothing wrong but still her life had been cut short. At that point, I knew I would always have a complicated relationship with God, but there was no way I could be unthankful for the gift this girl had given me. I made it my mission in life to live each day to the fullest and take every opportunity that was handed to me. _

_So I did._

_I packed up my bags and left a healthier looking Charlie to look after himself but with the occasional help from his best friend Billy and his daughter Jake. They had lived too far away before to be able to visit often, but were moving to Port Angeles to allow Jake to go to community college and study nursing. I was eased with the knowledge that he wouldn't be totally alone anymore. As we set forth on our much longed for journey, I sat shot gun in the new Porsche that Alice had treated herself to. The inaugural long distance journey of the 'yellow banana' was of us two crazy girls singing eighties rock anthems as badly as possible with the top down as we drove to our new apartment in the city which would be our home for the next four years while Alice studied fashion and design and I studied Journalism and Psychology. _

_Edward, no two girls ever had such a blast or made such a mark on the world as these two sisters did during their college years. We studied, worked, partied and studied some more. We both still had to maintain very healthy lifestyles so perhaps we didn't party as much as others did, but for two girls who had never even dreamed of such a glittering future, every day was a new adventure. Instead of working jobs to support ourselves, we volunteered for a lot of down town projects and I quickly became emotionally invested in making sure I could help to the best of my ability those who were not as privileged as myself. This influenced my chosen thesis for my Journalism major which I eventually entitled 'The ethics behind reporting in dangerous political climates'. _

_I bet you're wondering why I haven't mentioned boys yet…I'm getting to it._

_For my entire life, I had never considered myself as being particularly attractive. I appreciated my mother's compliments but I never really saw it. Before my health troubles, I had never really been noticed at high school. Dates or dances had never interested me much. But as my health returned to me, I took my mother's words to heart and learned to love myself. I appreciated the glow of health in my blushing cheeks as I looked in the mirror and also learned to love the effects that a very healthy lifestyle had on my skin and figure. I blossomed at college, both in confidence and sexuality. I learned that people could create magical feelings from their bodies if they chose to. I would listen to the invariable comments made by the 'jock' types at the back of lecture halls about women's bodies and would also think about the judgemental tones I had heard from some of the girls in my seminar groups about a girl called Jessica who was paying her way through school by dancing at a strip club. I volleyed between the two discussions and found myself mired in a strange philosophy. I wondered at the socially constructed attitudes regarding the naked body. It was okay for celebrated artists to paint beautifully naked bodies ranging from taut to rubinesque plumpness but not acceptable for Jessica to find a debt free way of financing her studies, simply by putting her naked body on display. It ended up being the topic of my minor thesis for my psychology classes. I was fascinated by the cultural perceptions of nudity and how this impacted professions where nudity played a pivotal role e.g. art, dance, modelling etc._

_I dated sporadically throughout college, nothing serious ever really developing. I lost my virginity to a lovely boy who took his utmost care to make sure that I was satisfied. He worshipped my body and let me return the favour, which is what I was looking for from the experience. I wanted to explore the possibilities of my body and what I was capable of as a healthy young woman. Alice and I often joked that we would marry brothers and that way we could really be sisters, but you couldn't have found a closer friend to me than she was. She blossomed at college as well and was the belle of many a social gathering, but she soon caught the eye of an architecture major by the name of Jasper Whitlock. They soon became enamoured of each other, often conducting entire conversations with simply their eyes. At first, I often felt that I was intruding upon their alone time as I moved about the apartment, but I was soon corrected by an outraged Alice and amused Jasper. I was soon in receipt of a protective and loving older brother as well as my spitfire of a sister Alice. We would gad about together and have great fun seeing the city. Many was the time where I would fall asleep on the sofa, my legs spread across both of their laps as they threw popcorn at my unresponsive state. _

_During the final semester of our last year, I got up on a Saturday to find Alice and Jasper were still abed. I listlessly flumped onto the couch and switched on the television to watch the DVD I had missed the end of the previous night. I idly looked at the coffee table and saw a book on architecture that Jasper had obviously left behind. It was a quarterly journal in hard bound format and I flickered through it in want of something better to do. Maybe I didn't believe in kismet Edward, but I do now. I flickered through the book until I reached an article entitled 'Up and Coming Architectural Wonders – An Interview with Edward Cullen' and on the opposite page was a picture of the most beautiful man I had ever seen. It was you, Edward. I found myself reading all about you and eagerly questioned Jasper when he woke up. Not only did he know of you, he in fact knew you in person. He in fact was your fucking friend and prospective business partner! Edward I have to confess, I went a little fan girl. I googled you and let you star in several private fantasies of mine…anyway now is not the time for that. I dropped several hints at perhaps being able to arrange a blind date between us but received the heartbreaking response that you were a workaholic and had failed to make several dates already. I didn't know why I felt such a connection to someone I had never met before but had only heard about. _

_Life moves on for us all though, a blessed fact that I will never take for granted. _

_I had received a partial scholarship for a Master's degree in Journalism from the university and was eagerly sponsored by Alice for the rest. She was flying on the rave reviews she had received during the student fashion show that had formed her major assessment. She was already deeply immersed in plans for designing her own line of clothing, which I was the willing test subject for. We saw each other less as we all became more specialised in our own pursuits, but we still managed to sit together round the table for a meal at least three times a week. Jasper had moved into our palatial apartment and I found that his male presence made a happy balance to our formerly feminine dynamic. We worked, studied, designed and lived together in harmony for that year. I graduated with distinction and will never forget the look of pride on my father's face as I walked across that podium. It was only eclipsed by the veritable shriek of glee from my sprite of a best friend. It was during the after party that my favourite professor took me aside and told me of an opportunity that she felt I would be ideal for. The university was sending out tenured post graduates on reporting schedules to various international crisis areas as part of a wider governmental peace programme. Knowing of my own pursuits in giving back to the community, she thought it would be an ideal opportunity to consider. _

_It was as if fate was reminding me of my promise to that sixteen year old girl who died so that I might live. Despite my father's cries of despair and even trepidation from my go-getting friends, I boarded a plane two weeks later and found myself in the midst of some of the harshest images of humanity. I dealt with humanitarian crises, helped Mother's appeals for their lost children, reported on the gruelling lives of girls younger than myself who had been forced into marriages against their will. I saw the very blackest parts of human nature and still felt blessed that I was alive. Sometimes at night, I would draw out the page I had torn from Jaspers book and look at your face. I remember thinking that if beauty like that existed in the world, then I still had a reason to keep on going. I worked in dangerous climates for two years before I was told to go home. _

_I came home to a newly married Alice and Jasper, an architecture firm that was quickly growing in prominence and a fashion designer who was signing deals all over the country, all clamouring for her designs. Charlie was still living in his own little house but it was slowly falling apart. He had let Alice pay for my medical bills, but he had drawn the line at that. He supported himself and was able to make enough for a few luxuries a month but that was all. He told me he was already rich with the knowledge that I was out there living my dreams and that I was now home, safe and sound. _

_I realised that I had to get a new job. Now perhaps I was due a few more chips from fate because within a month of me returning home I found myself faced with an interesting opportunity. Alice, Jasper and I were having dinner with Jasper's colleague Emmett and his fiancé Rosalie. It was a great night and I soon found myself very much in close company with my two new friends. As the food and drink flowed, the girls moved over to Alice's ridiculously comfortable couches and sat in for a good old fashioned girly chat. I soon found myself imparting my life story to Rosalie who looked at me with kind and interested blue eyes. When she asked me if I was looking for a job, I responded that I was. She told me she might have something that I would be interested in. She was a talent scout for a programme called Naked News, but quickly assured me that it was not seedy or anything similar. It would involve giving a short coverage of the news while slowly undressing in front of the camera. I will admit that after she was finished speaking, I sat for a good two minutes doing my gold fish impression. Was she serious? Could I do something like that? I didn't have any qualms regarding nudity per se, but was I really brave enough to bare…everything for the world to see? I'll admit that her mention of the prospective salary was well timed but I chiefly remember thinking of the dream I had during my operation, of my mother telling me to take any chances offered to me. _

'_I'll do it, Rosalie. I've got nothing to hide,' I told her. We discussed the light scarring I had from the operation and she quickly assured me it wouldn't be an issue. Some stage makeup could be used to cover up a strong mark so that it would only appear faint in front of the camera. _

_Edward, I realised that I could help build a new life for myself and Charlie. He might not accept Alice's money but he would accept mine. I would do this and after a few years we would have enough to build a home which he could retire in. I soon went in for an audition and found it all very natural. Everybody was so kind and there was no pressure to do anything I didn't want to do. I auditioned in a dress that Alice had designed and all at once I found it ridiculously easy to show everyone the skin I was born in. It was almost like saying to the world 'Look at me. Look at what I've been through. I am strong and not afraid to show it. I am proud of every part of me.'_

_It was a done deal from there. I was paid an exorbitant sum relative to the very short work hours involved, allowing me to spend more time with my friends and family. I set up a savings account and put almost all of my wages into it, considering that I still lived rent free with Alice and Jasper. Everything was going great for a while until Mike Newton happened. _

_It started with some creepy letters and other fan mail that were easy enough to throw in the bin, even if they did disgust me and everyone else at work. Then I started receiving bizarre tokens of affection under my window wipers and through my mail slot, unmarked. He knew where I lived Edward. They started to become threatening and I quickly became more scared than I had been in years. He started showing up at the studios and that was where we were able to catch him but he left an unfortunate reminder of his presence that is still here to this day. I've faced guns in my face from angry rebels, I've dealt with congenital heart failure, I've watched one parent die and the other fall to pieces, but it was only in the wake of a dangerous and deluded stalker that I started having panic attacks. The first time it happened, I felt my chest tightening and wailed at the thought of something happening to this most appreciated heart. I collapsed in the wake of his final attempt to reach me as he broke through the security staff and nearly reached me as I was on set. The names he called me were enough to cause the onset of that first attack, which I was to later learn were caused by severe stress and anxiety, but were worsened in people like me who had previously had heart conditions. _

_They don't happen often, but when they do they are very frightening. _

_And now comes the happy ending to my tale, almost._

_During dinner one night a few months ago, Jasper mentioned his concerns over his business partner Edward. Naturally your name drew my attention. My secret crush of years gone past was always secretly at the back of my mind, that one opportunity that was never afforded to me. Jasper mentioned how tired and lonely you seemed, how you were almost bereft at your lack of company. I knew I had to meet you Edward. I begged Alice and Jasper to set up a meeting to discuss my house building project, eager to simply see you in the flesh, even if only once. I had been going to consult with Jasper, but I wanted you more. When I heard that you had agreed to a consult, Alice had to almost peel me from the ceiling, I was so excited. We giddily chose my outfit for the appointment and I laughed at the jaunty little scarf she tied around my neck, the latest from her True Desires range. The day of the appointment arrived and I was so excited. I made my way up to your office only to be snootily rebuffed by the attractive blonde who I guessed at the time served as your secretary. When I repeated my entreaty, she angrily sent me to wait in your office and smartly told me that you would be with me soon. I am almost certain I heard her call me a 'pretentious bitch' under her breath but I can't be sure. I marched confidently into your empty office, unwilling to let this small minded woman derail my excitement. I looked around at all of your framed projects and certificates, inexplicably proud of you, even if I didn't know you yet. I heard you before I saw you. Your gorgeous voice was smartly reprimanding the rude secretary who made me smile and then there you were in the glorious flesh. I had entered my name using my mother's maiden name, a security measure I have used ever since the Mike Newton fiasco, so you only knew that a B Dwyer was awaiting you. _

_I have to admit, Edward, your initial reaction to me was a major ego boost. You made me feel so beautiful in that first instance that I felt like I was flying. Our afternoon together was wonderful, even though we were going over something so business like and professional. I found you so handsome and endearing. I loved all of your corny little jokes and felt myself starting to fall for you, even then. _

_And then Tanya had to ruin it all by being the interfering bitch that I now know her to be, insinuating that you two were involved. Edward, I have never been so disappointed or heartbroken in my entire life. My hopes for the both of us dissolved faster than Alice's attempts at soufflé. I ran out of there, blindly leaving behind my little scarf and rushing to the courtyard of benches I has seen as I entered the building. I phoned Alice quickly, looking for some sort of explanation as to Tanya's involvement in your life, as I had been assured that you were single. _

'_Alice…who the fuck is Tanya? You didn't tell me how handsome he was in person! Tell me who the fuck Tanya is! Everything was going so well and then she had to butt in,' I said in a rush, feeling the twinges of an attack happening, rubbing my chest soothingly in a vain attempt to avoid it. 'Bella, calm down. I can feel you panicking all the way over there. I can assure that Tanya is not only not involved in Edward's personal life, she is soon to be uninvolved in his professional as well. Jasper assures me that Edward is two seconds away from firing her bony ass. Now calm down. Everything will be alright. What are you doing next? Do you need me to come and get you,' she said. I calmed at the soothing and loving words of my beloved friend and felt myself start to breathe in a slower, deeper rhythm. 'I'm meeting Jake later, so I am okay. Thanks for offering though,' I told her. _

_I met Jake that night. We are cousins by birth, but were never that close growing up. However when I started living out my new philosophy of seizing the day, I remedied that by embarking on a very satisfying friendship with her. We are not as close as Alice is to me, but she is still a very good friend, one I feel blessed to have. One thing I should probably let you know about. She is a complete man-hater. Don't ask me why. I really don't understand that about her. She has a lovely live in girlfriend but she is quite prejudiced when it comes to men. Upon hearing about our first meeting, I'm afraid to say that she may have taken exception to the way that Tanya treated me and immediately blamed you for not firing her. I tried to reason with her but that is just the way she is, so I apologise if you have ever been on the frosty end of her glare. _

_After several comforting girly chats, Alice informed me a few days later that she was arranging a get together with everyone from Edward's company, and did I want to come? Safe to say she was smirking when she asked me. So off I went only to arrive a little bit later than planned due to traffic, but to find myself hearing your beautiful words waxing lyrical…about me. _

_Yeah my heart fell just a little bit more for you then Edward. _

_Can you blame me for kissing you? I mean have you seen yourself in the mirror? FYI that was the best fucking kissing I have ever experienced in my life. I told you I seize every opportunity. Life is too short. So I seized and kissed the beautiful man saying beautiful things about me._

_And you kissed me back._

_Joy._

_I might have fan-girled a little bit. You were just so beautiful and you smelled so good and you were hold me, not Tanya or anyone else. Your arms were around me, your lips on mine, your tongue dancing with my own. I lived a lifetime in that moment. _

_We talked all night about everything and anything. I carefully skirted around the specifics of what I did for a living. It's not that I am ashamed or anything, but how exactly do you bring it up in conversation? I knew it would be controversial to say the least. You might not want a girlfriend who bares her flesh for a living. But I think fate threw me another chip that night. As you left to go to the bathroom, you left me your phone to put my details into. I don't think you realised you had set me as your background, Edward. I was so confused. Then I got a little nosy and looked at your files. You had a Bella folder, Edward. Clearly the talk about what I do for a living is not going to be as strange as I had predicted. I couldn't help but get turned on when I saw your private schedule Edward…private Bella time? Really? And at work? I really need to start carrying around new panties because that little entry really did affect me. I inputted all of my details and handed you back your phone, trying to hold back a delighted cry as you simply smiled at me. _

_Edward, I realise that this is all a lot to take in. I was mustering up the courage to tell you all of this when I decided to try writing it in a letter. I hope you still look at me with the same sparkle in your green eyes as you did before you read this. _

_Yours entirely,_

_Bella._

**CHAPTER** Thirty Three

_When nature designed the human body, I bet it thought it would be hilarious to make us capable of such bizarre noises...at inappropriate times. Like when the woman you love is lying in a hospital bed having just bared her soul and is staring anxiously at you, tears running down her face and the beeping from the many machines she was attached to indicating a steadying rise in her heart beat._

In response to the most stressful and dramatic day of his life, his body decided to alert its various complaints within the space of ten seconds.

'I..,' be began, but stopped to let out the loudest (and smelliest) burp of his life. Before the embarrassing blush had even tinged his face, he watched as she looked on in astonished awe as he then proceeded to fart impressively, the vibrations rattling unforgivably against the hard plastic of the uncomfortable hospital chairs. Finally, his stomach then proceeded to rumble unforgivably, angry at being denied sustenance for so long.

Silence.

_Who knew that silence was so loud._

They stared at each other, both of their faces reddening to a ruddy complexion.

The silence seemed to be unending, only to be interrupted by the only thing which he considered could safe both their dignity.

Bella let out a lady-like waft of air, surprise and shock gracing her face as yet another pungent odour was released into the room.

As one, they looked at each other and spoke the same words.

'Yeah...so that happened.'

Then they smiled at each other, tentative at first, both relieved that the was broken.

_Or in this case wind. God I really need to stop eating linguine_.

The loving smiles turned into slight giggles which turned into outright laughter. The extreme emotional turmoil which each of them had experienced in so short a time came out in the sweet sharp ache of uncontrollable mirth. Tears that bordered on hysterical graced their faces as they laughed out an unspoken conversation that both forgave, saved and graced the other with love and affection.

At some point, he became aware that she was clutching her chest, her uncontrolled belly laughs obviously causing her ribs some discomfort. He marshalled nearly a decade of professionalism and reached for her hands to settle them into a more regular breathing pattern.

'Breathe baby. Remember, it's just you and me. Everything else can wait. If it helps to calm you, I can say with absolute honesty that there is nothing I currently know about you that is hindering my ardent desire to make you my girl. Well, more of my girl than you are right now, because you're my girl right now...' he finished a little awkwardly, wincing at his inarticulate phrasing.

Sniffling and gulping over the huge frog in her throat she endeavoured to smile through her tears. She resumed her position of lying on her side, her arms cuddling his entire arm as he used his other hand to stroke along the full lines of her body.

As he stroked her hair, lulling her back to sleep, he quietly whispered the only words which he could think to reassure her with.

'Amor vincit omnia...Love Conquers All, Bella. I love you.'

**CHAPTER** Thirty Four

He often winced at thinking it, but he often reflected that time seems to move so quickly when you become so consumed in the moment, a moment which never seems to end. Whether it be a person, a project, an impassioned cause – the result was the same: time seems to hurry by, and the life lived before is seen through blurred visions.

When he brought Bella home from the hospital, he insisted that she stay with him, eager to help her gently recuperate for a couple of days. He gladly reassigned and delegated for the days he was absent from work, working efficiently with Quill via conference calls. One of the more interesting tid-bits relayed to him during the call was the receipt of a resignation letter from Ms Tanya Denali, citing an expectation of promised work elsewhere which held the lure of a much higher salary. As Quill read out the letter, he could make out her sardonic tones, even via writing and could not help but be astonished at her closing statement.

'_**Edward,**_

_**I have decided that I can no longer work in your employ, as you have treated me with such personal contempt as to make it impossible for me to work in a civilised manner at Cullen Towers. I have served faithfully with no desire but to make your life as comfortable and pleasurable as possible, but you have rebuffed me at every turn. I have therefore decided to seek work elsewhere, perhaps where they have more appreciation for my charms than you ever have. Fear not however, if you should desire to see me again, I am sure your enterprising mind will figure out a way to do so. **_

_**Yours if you desire,**_

_**Tanya Denali.**_

Wow...she actually thought she had charms?

He was absolutely astonished to hear of the scale of her delusions and rather angry at the perceived slights against her character. He contemplated the benefits of pursuing her varying misdemeanours with his legal team and HR department.

_I have to admit, seeing her brought to justice would be rather satisfying. Not as satisfying as a bacon bagel, but satisfying nonetheless._

However, despite the tempting image of a brow beaten Tanya leaving an employment tribunal in disgrace, he realised that it would mean significant time spent away from his Bella, a consequence which he was not willing to suffer. He decided that he would have to settle for a permanently free Tanya life, not a bad booby prize.

_Booby prize._

_Bella boobies. _

_Ah, how I am loving the 'getting to know you' portion of my relationship with those lovely mounds. _

As he stood in the shower stall of his en suite he unleashed is in inner teenage boy and smooshed is face right into those delightfully bouncing breasts and subsequently tried to suffocate himself, bringing both hands up to cut off any potential air supply by pushing the supple skin gently into either side of his face.

_So much better than bacon bagels._

He smiled into the sweet strawberry smelling skin as Bella laughed, the vibrations resonating right from the soft, warm belly that was pressed somewhere against his sternum, seeing as how he was currently kneeling between her legs. Her chuckles bounced off of the walls, the hot spray of water embellishing the echo of the rich chortles.

'Edward! You're going to black out in a minute, and I have no hesitation in informing Emmett of how you came to faint in the shower,' she threatened connivingly, knowing that he would not relish any of their carnal knowledge being leaked to anyone, particularly the biggest prankster of them all.

_My Bella. My boobies. Only me. _

As he continued to lavish attention on the succulent flesh surrounding face, he pondered the wonderfully strange sequence of events that had led him to motor boating Bella Swan.

**CHAPTER** Thirty Five

When he had lovingly sequestered his girl within the palatial walls of his own design, he had earned a lovingly disgruntled huff from the lovely Bella when he picked her up out of the front seat of his car and carried her over the threshold to his home.

_God that feels good. Maybe it's a sign._

He carried his wriggling, laughing load into comfortable apartment of his kitchen, knowing that they both needed sustenance after such a whirlwind of events.

'Edward! Put me down. I've managed to walk for the last twenty seven years you know,' she spoke, striving to sound annoyed but failing slightly due to the little chortles she could not keep down.

'Ah, Bella, you really shouldn't have said that,' he growled playfully before swinging her around in a fireman's lift over his right shoulder. He felt her long hair tickling the backs of his legs and delighted in the firm grip he had on her luscious behind.

_I wonder if she is ticklish..._

He began lightly tickling her sides and was immediately in receipt of a wriggling, writhing bundle of Bella giggles.

'Stop it Edward! Stop it! Uncle, Uncle!'

She slapped the backs of his legs in retaliation and when that didn't work, she teasingly ran her fingers over his ass, pinching hard after a count of three. He squealed at the sensation and stopped his own attacking ministrations. He set her down on her feet, bracing his arms against her shoulders as she did the same to him.

'Truce' they said at the same time.

After a few moments of silence, she seemed to remember something important and pouted her lips for a second, effectively rendering his concentration as moot. She stood on her tiptoes and purposefully breathed hot hair softly against the sensitive skin of his ears. He felt his eyes shut of their own volition, as well as the veritable of springing of his cock to immediate attention.

_It might as well have said boing._

'Edward, baby I have to ask you a very important question now...' she whispered huskily. Shuddering at how wonderful the moment was, it took him a moment to respond, unwilling to break the motion of her teeth gently nibbling his ear lobes and neck.

'What is it baby? What can I do for you?' he spoke, not without some effort. The gentle and seductive movements of her warm, wet mouth might as well have been on the sensitive skin of his cock. He actually felt himself starting to swell with excitement when she threw her newest gambit onto their erotic to and fro.

'Edward did you just squeal when I touched your ass? Is there something you want to tell me?' she giggled, breaking away from her seductive cadence and beating a hasty retreat from both his embrace and the room.

He stood in flabbergasted silence, his trousers ridiculously tented and the retreating strawberry scent momentarily rendering him as stupefied.

'Bella! Get back here. You're going to pay for that!'

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

They had enjoyed a pleasant evening together, first in cooking their inaugural meal as a serious couple. The Bolognese was made from the same regular old ingredients as he had used a thousand times, but it was somehow the tastiest version that had ever graced the kitchen table. The candles that they lit during their meal were the same as he had been purchasing for years, but the glow had never seemed so beautiful.

They talked on gentle subjects, imparting some clarification on the revelations made earlier in the day.

'Did you really take a picture of me with you across the world, Bella? What did you think of when you looked at it?' he asked her, trying and failing to tamp down his curiosity at her earlier confessions.

She blushed in the gentle candlelight but the sweet and secretive smile on her face showed that she was not unwilling to reveal the answers he sought.

'I guess I saw something beyond your face Edward. Your words were eager and unusual in that interview, and I just saw something I had never seen before in your eyes, even from a static picture. I guess I took your picture with me to see if I could find anything that could compare or define what it was I saw in your face when I looked at that picture. I've been to a lot of different places in the world Edward, but I never did find something to help me understand it. It's only recently that I considered it might be something like kismet. Maybe I was meant to find you one day,' she told him. Her eyes never strayed from his, the earnest gaze a mark of her strength at revealing something so personal.

He was beginning to think that perhaps he owed a lot more to that deity that he couldn't find a name for.

'It's your turn Edward. Tell me about how you started watching the show,' she begged him in an emotional voice.

He reached across the table and held her hands in his own, wrapping his strong fingers around hers in a sure and comforting grip.

'I was alone Bella, I had been alone for so long. I worked so hard and had built a rigorous routine around a hardworking, efficient philosophy. At first, I was so proud of all that I had achieved both by myself and as part of a team with my trusted partners. I would socialise with my closest friends and watch as they unintentionally flaunted a much healthier work life balance than mine, creating love and laughter in their relationships. My pride in my work soon became tempered with a dissatisfaction at being so alone, with no one to share my success with. I loved spending time with family and friends, but it became harder and harder to smile with true meaning as I watched with an envious gaze as they got married and started planning for having children of their own. I came to hate coming home, it was always so lonely,' he spoke, struggling against a painful lump in his throat at revealing such a sad time in his life.

He looked into her fiery gaze and saw compassion and a silent promise that it would never have to be that way again. It gave him the strength to carry on in his confessions.

'One night, I came home, feeling more than usually desolate. I aimlessly switched through the channels and only caught a glimpse of your gorgeous eyes Bella. It was something new, something exciting. I flipped back quickly and came upon Naked News. Bella you were glorious. You were wearing a beautiful blue wrap dress, that I am guessing is one of Ali's designs and I heard such intelligent and humorous tones in your voice. I honestly can't say what it was that affected me so. I'm not exactly a virgin, but your entire presence: mind and body were quickly to become my undoing. Let's just say that from that point on, if I didn't get my Bella time, Edward was not a happy boy,' he finished on a laugh, trying and failing to stop the deep red blush from overcoming his handsome features. It matched the blushing beauty of the woman opposite him and he watched in fascination as it moved in glowing warmth down her chest and disappeared into her cleavage.

_Since we are revealing here..._

'Bella, how far down does your blush go?'

**CHAPTER** Thirty Six

She was obviously trying to contain her chuckles, but the redness of mirth was creeping ever slowly down her décolletage, disappearing into her pretty blue blouse. With the barest semblance of control, she pursed her lips like the mysterious femme fatales of his favourite black and white movies.

She crossed her arms over her jiggling bosom, increasing the exposure of the tantalising blush which he was literally itching to explore.

'Well Mr Cullen, I could tell you...or I could show you. Which option would you prefer?' she asked him mockingly, arching a delicately plucked brow.

With business like precision, he wiped his napkin over his face, took a sip of water with only slightly trembling hands and faced her as if she were a combatant at the business table.

'I am not going to grace that with an answer Mrs Cul-...er Ms Swan,' he stuttered, correcting himself instantaneously.

_Fuck, why don't you just go and fucking propose Edward. Douche. _

After a few moments of stunned silence she merely shrugged off his near slip, clearly content with the level of affection that he displayed.

_I wish it was not so inadvertent at times though. _

'Well put Mr Cullen, let's continue shall we?' she replied, inviting him to explore.

So he did.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

In a small moment of revenge, he swiftly brought her over his shoulder in another fireman's lift, trying with all his might to have enough willpower to get to the bedroom without taking her up against the wall.

_Just don't pinch my ass again Bella. I'm afraid to admit how much I like that..._

Taking the stairs two at a time, he carried his wriggling and laughing load into the bedroom. He only hoped that this would not be a repeat of the previous night's level of angst. He dimmed the light to a gentle glow, closing the blinds for privacy and proceeded to cut off all connections to the outside world, as per his nightly routine of Bella time.

_Except this time it was with the real thing._

_Cleary I was Ghandi in another life._

He lay his precious bundle onto the expensive bed coverings and immediately crawled in between her legs and braced his arms above her.

'So Ms Swan. I propose a business deal. For every item of clothing we remove from the other, we have to reveal a secret which we have never told anyone before. It can be about us, about work, family...anything. What do you think?' he asked her, before swiftly coercing her agreement by capturing her sumptuous lips in a heated kiss which left him hard and aching. He gently rutted against her, glorying in the soft heat he could feel even through all the layers of clothing they were wearing.

_Fuck_

He watched as her eyes gently rolled in their sockets at his seductive ministrations, and the ever present blush deepen to a red he would have associated with the flush of climax in any other woman.

_Great, now I have another pavlovian response to Bella's biology. The woman is going make me hard just by quirking an eyebrow next. Fuck. _

Clearly in a take charge moment, she wrestled them into a position whereby she was straddling his hips, just shy of pressing against where he wanted her the most. She teasingly trailed her fingers through her hair and along her lines of her décolletage, much as she did when she was presenting. The confidence she was exuding was one of the most beautiful parts about her.

'Well Mr Cullen, I happen to agree, and since it was your proposition, why don't you start undressing me,' she said in husky, aroused tones.

**Naked News**

He gently started popping her buttons, relishing the little scrape of his short nails against the shiny blue slate of Alice's designer tastes.

'My favourite memory of childhood is when my Mom would drape her long hair over my arms and read magical stories to me. I loved running my fingers through it,' he confessed, popping the final button and gently removing the blouse down the gentle musculature of her arms. He reached upwards slightly and held her lips in a brief kiss, unable to stop his hips from rutting a little against her willing warmth. She smiled into the kiss and brought her hands up to his own shirt, undoing the stiff buttons. She tightened her thighs until they were taut over his lap.

'I am incapable of keeping even a goldfish alive. After my fourth attempt during my recovery as a teenager, Charlie quietly banned me from all and any pet shops,' she said, laughing slightly at the memory.

_I hope she never had a cute puppy that met an untimely demise. _

He was suddenly enamoured of the possibilities of the future, the two of them taking long walks through his parent's country estate, a beautiful husky at his side.

Another kiss was shared as he drew gentle shapes up and around her back, her gently curved belly and along the sensitive swell of her upright cleavage. She shivered in delight at his ministrations, her nipples hardening deliciously for his greedy gaze. He felt a growing wet patch on the inside of his boxers and only prayed he could de-pant before the expensive material of his trousers were inevitably ruined by his own arousal.

Some slight acrobatics were required for removing loose jeans she was wearing, which involved her straddling him and her elbows bearing her weight as she lifted one leg in the air, rather like the downward facing dog. Eventually they persevered.

'I have a tattoo on my ass. And it's all Emmett's fault. Student finals couples with too many Newcastle's and a wild idea to get tattoo's resulted in me waking up with a pain in on my backside and a rather girlish shriek of terror from glancing in the mirror to see that I had my families coat of arms placed firmly on my ass. At least it's not as bad as Emmett's. He got a rose,' he chortled, grinning as he remembered the look of terror on his friends face as they had met for a hangover fry up later that day.

**Luckily Rosalie took it as a compliment. **

Bella laughed at that with him, the atmosphere a unique blend of humour and arousal. He kissed down the side of her neck as she started to unbuckle his pants. He raised his ass slightly to help her shuck them down his legs and he could not help but be delighted at the wide popping of her eyes as she took in his toned abdominal muscles and tightly muscled thighs.

Routine is good for some things. I just hope she doesn't notice the difference between my left and right arms muscles...

She flipped her long hair over her shoulders, letting some of it drape nearly to the tops of her hips, gleaming and shining like a medieval princess about to be taken by her willing lover.

'I talked to your picture sometimes. I even wrote you letters in my journal. Maybe I'll show it to you one day. It helped on the days when I felt diminishing hope in the goodness of the world, just to look into your green eyes,' she confessed in serious tones, looking into those eyes that had evidently held her captive for so long.

As he gazed back into her earnest eyes, he suddenly felt things get serious and primal.

Not hurriedly, but neither at a slow pace, he reached around to undo her pretty teal bra and flung it aside. Their underwear met the same fate as he swiftly disrobed them and brought both their bodies together, laid out on his large bed.

Careful not to put his weight on her, he kissed her in a deep, dark way that had somehow never seemed possible in his fantasies. He trailed his lips around the sweet smelling skin of her slender neck, coming up to nip against her earlobes before whispering the needed words.

'Bella, it's been a long time since I was with anyone and I've been tested since then. I want you to know that I trust you and love you, so whatever you tell me will be fine, we can make it work,'

She eased her back into his soft pillows and met his gaze squarely and without guile.

'It's been a couple of years for me too Edward and I've been tested after each partner. I always used protection but if life has taught me anything, it is to always be prepared. I have a coil fitted, as my doctors thought it best to go for a non-hormonal based form of birth control. We can use condoms if you want, but I trust you and I want to feel you love me,' she confessed, tears forming at her last words, softly leaving glittering paths down her creamy skin.

**CHAPTER** Thirty Seven

_I'm about to make love to Bella Swan. There are no men as blessed._

For their first time together, he laid her out and braced himself over her petite form, watching the bright blue light on the numbered dials of his alarm clock glitter in the salty tracks of tears that were still present on her luminous face. Mutually agreed tacit consent was met in an unversed conversation between their gazes. As brown eyes met green, so many things were said without lips moving at all.

_I love you...we are so good together...this is it for me...I want to make love with you..._

His manly presence safely perched over her, no strong weight resting on her body but still protecting her from the rest of the world. Primal, unconscious urges prompted his tangling of their lower legs together as he braced his weight on his knees and to one side of his hip. One muscled arm stretched up and pinned her graceful limbs together above her head, twining fingers together in a sure and confident grip. The other hand caressed her long hair, wove through the flow of shining tears that were ebbing from the brown eyes that were so mysterious in the moonlight. He likened her to some fabled siren or selkie, a beautiful creature, deadly in grace who sought to capture him with her beautiful song and drag him down to a glad, watery grave. He imagined that if this was his last sight before death claimed him, then he would go with a smile on his mortal face.

His gaze travelled down her face, to the slender and beautifully formed shoulders that held such a wondrous mind. Creamy pale skin glinted in the moonlight that streamed in through his shutters. He felt his cock harden even further at the sight of the sweat beading between her luscious breasts, the fullness of them appealing so much to some unknown voice inside his head.

_My woman...mother of my children...my woman..._

After sharing another fiery kiss with those lips, he trailed his lips down her sweet smelling neck, skimming his nose under her arms, delighting in the earthy smell of her natural sweat.

Raw passion fired his cock, demanding attention.

With his free hand he gently began to knead her breasts, flicking the sensitive tips in rapid succession. Releasing his other hand, he brought both breasts together gently and attacked them with fervent licks and sucks, tweaking the pale pink tips to a hardness that utterly surprised him. Their owner certainly sounded delighted with his ministrations.

'Ah...Edward! So good! My tits are so sensitive...touch me Edward! My Edward! Touch me...ah so good' she shuddered and writhed. He delighted in the sight of her glistening thighs, her wetness slowly seeping out as he continued to please her. It only matched the seeping stain he was making on her stomach from where is rigid cock was pressing into, desperate for some friction.

_Can't let that go to waste. _

He immediately moved his attention to her most intimate of places and smeared his face all over the juices which were leaking out of her steadily. He rubbed his stubbly face all over the smooth creamy expanse of her strong thighs, bathing his face in the potent scent of her arousal.

_This is even better than bacon bagels. Fuck me._

He felt an animalistic urge to bury his face in her gorgeous pussy, adorned with a small triangle of short brunette curls. He briefly raised his head, dimly realising that he was making small grunting noises.

She was magnificent.

Her head was thrown back and both her hands were teasing and tweaking her nipples. Every now and then she would bring her fingers to her lips and wet them to help simulate the feeling of his tongue. The beloved blush which he had been so curious about was stretching lower and lower down her stomach, a full and undimmed line that started in her high cheek bones. As she looked at him, she quickly nodded her head, clearly needing the stimulation as much as he needed to give it to her.

He gently brought his fingers and spread her wide for his inspection. He was in love with the juicy pink folds that marked her as a woman. He spread her wetness around, carefully ensuring that she was lubricated as much as possible before gently starting to French kiss her most secret of places. He licked wide swathes around her sensitive folds, not immediately going for the most sensitive part of her. He wanted to get to know her as well as he could.

As his tongue passed along, he explored and delighted in the differing textures which met his mouth. Rough and smooth, pebbled and slick – he loved it all. He lavished her pussy with vigorous licks and kisses before settling into a smooth rhythm of gently biting and sucking on her clit, her beautiful centre. He watched her eyes as he brought two fingers up to her mouth and bade her silently to suck on them.

Her eyes widened seductively and he felt her hot little tongue wrap around the wide digits, sucking sinfully, with the promise that she would share her talented little mouth on all the parts of his body that she desired.

He felt his eyes cross and battled his hardest not to rut against the silky material of the comforter, knowing that it would only take a couple of hard thrusts before he was coming hard.

_She is so fucking sexy._

He gently inserted his two fingers into her passage, slowly twisting and curling them, learning what she liked and loved. He continued with the rapid flicking motion of his tongue against her clit that she seemed to like the best, pushing her hips against his face, wrapping her ankles around his shoulders for as much leverage as possible.

'Ahhh Edward! Please!...' she shouted into the darkness.

'I want you to come Bella. I want to make you come and then I'm going to make love to you. I know you're going to feel so fucking good. I can taste it...come for me baby. I'm right here...' he muttered into her folds, unwilling to part from her for anything. He twisted and curled his fingers rapidly, sucked and flicked his tongue as fast as he could and watched as she tweaked her own nipples, the flush of her oncoming climax dusting her petite form in glorious hues of red and pink.

'Ah I love you! Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine – Ah Edward I feel you!' she yelled, gasping at the onslaught of his sudden penetration. He filled her to the hilt and then did not move an inch. He felt his face twist in agonised pleasure as his cock was milked deeply by the contractions of her initial orgasm. Her walls were hot and slick as they massaged his sensitive member.

It was home.

He watched as she calmed down slightly, her focus coming back as she gazed at him in wonder.

'Look at where we are, Edward. Look at what we are doing,' she said, unable to withdraw her gaze from the sight of his shaft as it started to slide in and out of her welcoming body, an age old dance that they were lovingly practicing.

He held both her hands above her head again, twining the warm and wet digits, ensuring his control. His hips moved slowly at first, his body doing its damndest to avoid shooting off like a rocket. Contracting and subtle pulses were answering each plunge into her pussy, the wet sound of their rocking something private and primal.

_My woman. Mine._

Her mouth was open in a silent gasp, unable to comprehend words or sounds. She brought her legs up to wrap around his pistoning waist, allowing for deeper penetration. He shouted in surprise at the sudden move, the change in angle sending pleasurable waves up his spine.

It was not going to be a long dance, this one, the need was too great.

Her hips beckoned as much as possible, pushing against the expanse of his stomach to rub her clit against for much needed friction. Their eyes were locked, foreheads touching as he began slamming his cock into her at an unrelenting pace. It was more than the sum of its parts. It was everything. The joining blushes of their skin kissed as the sweat poured of his hard working body, raining down on her welcoming body.

It was deep and hot and felt so fucking good. His balls were so fucking tight as they smacked against her, his thrusts being that deep. He felt it, he felt the tingle.

She was rising again, he could see it. The wave was coming in her blush, in her walls which were squeezing the love out of his cock. It was in the fervent gaze of her eyes as those lips formed a silent 'o' before scrunching up into a pained expression of ecstasy.

Wanking and previous sexual encounters were nothing. His self love sessions and past love connections were nothing. The best sex he had ever had was obsolete.

As he pistoned in one more hard thrust, he wrote his love for her in crude language, shouting to the heavens or unnamed deities, his cock exploding in the headiest experience of his life

'Bella! Fuck! Coming, fuck! Mine. MINE. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH', his voice raspy and full of love. She was silent in her own fit of passion, locking her limbs around him as tight as she could, squeezing the part that defined him as male as she came all around it.

It was over.

They were shaking and sweating and joined in every way possible. She brought his shaking head up to her lips and placed gentle kisses on his sweating forehead before laying him against her breast, keeping him safe in the cocoon of her loving arms.

**CHAPTER** Thirty Eight

'That sounds like a very well thought and delightful plan Bella. Your proposed evening activities sound absolutely marvellous.'

He couldn't understand why she was having trouble dealing with his rather articulate response to her suggestions that they have dinner with their friends tonight before retiring to his place for an evening of decadent sexual gratification.

Well maybe he did.

_Maybe it's because my face is firmly muffled in delicious Bella boobies and I'm fucked if I am moving from my current position, not even to answer a delightful proposition to spend more time together, spoken in her sexy as fuck husky tones._

In present time, they were both in the shower, jokingly under the mutual consensus that saving water was of the utmost importance to them. He was extending her invitation to 'get to know each other' in the absolute literal sense. He had washed her with delicate movements aided by a soft cloth doused in pleasantly scented products. Each swipe of the cloth over her skin would more often than not be followed by a soft, open mouthed kiss from her most dedicated of acolytes. From her lustrous hair to her tiny little toes, he loved her in the myriad ways that were in his arsenal, carefully taking care of her as if she were the brightest and most fragile of blooms. With the final swipe of the cloth around her smallest toe, he had brought his arms around her waist and used his kneeling position to embrace her stomach, cuddling his head into the warm wet flesh.

As he pressed kisses onto the top-most layer of skin which covered the place where she could carry babies, his thoughts galloped ahead of him in, in months and years where they were walking through a field with a sweet boy and girl child hanging off each of his strong arms, both of them a perfect mixture of their loving parents.

_Someday._

As her fingers came to lightly scratch his scalp, he felt the vibrations of her sighs of contentment, placed as he was with his head so close to her chest. Easing back slightly, delighting in the never ending movement of her fingers, he locked gazes with her, silently sharing in the solemn happiness of the moment.

'I love you Edward. There are no rules about these things, only what people decide to do with their lives,' she said in happy tones, gently fingering the gorgeous pendant which was around her neck with her free hand. Her words and happy smile caused a strange reaction in his manly and virile body. The emotions behind her words made him as hard as a rock and added an extra layer of lust to the melting pot of heady feeling already swirling in the heavily misted air of his bathroom.

He growled into her skin, delivering sharp quick kisses to her stomach, then further up her rib cage until he was surrounded in beautiful Bella breasts.

_Yeah I'm definitely a boob man._

He attacked them, motor boat style which made her laugh and aroused in equal force. Her laughter soon turned to heady moans as he quickly flicked his tongue in a practiced movement over her sensitive and pretty nipples, although he spared a moment to gently press a line of kisses down the graceful feathery lines of her scar. Ten years of healthy living and advancements made in cosmetics had meant that her scar was all but invisible in the cleverly lighted sets of Naked News.

Easing her down against the built in seats to his palatial shower, he propped her legs open to lie either side of his handsome head. The seats were built at such a height that he could comfortably sit kneeling on the wet shower floor whilst facing her aroused and puffy folds.

'Oh God...you're going to aren't you? You're going to d- mmm yes just like that...' she uttered to whoever would listen, clearly enjoying the fervour with which he was licking and teasing the excited and sensitive skin between her legs.

_Mmmm yeah she enjoys that. And I enjoy doing it to her, fuck yeah._

He used one hand to gently spread open her outer lips and looked at the cock hardening sight of all that pulsing, red and juicy skin. He licked around her clit, dancing his tongue in both teasing and tormenting movements. In a sheer moment of wicked possessiveness, he stiffened his tongue and thrust it up as high as it would go, fucking the juicy folds of her pussy quickly and with strong pressure.

'Oh...Mmmm...yes keep going...mine...my Edward...' she muttered, clearly unable to speak in coherent sentences. The rising blush on the full lines of her body seemed to be coming down to meet him in a blushing pink kiss.

_Fuck, so sexy. And she's mine._

Needing something, anything to ease the torment on his own lonely cock, he reached down a hand and stroked it in hard and fast choppy movements, squeezing the engorged tip with a punishing strength that caused his eyes to roll in his head, muffled as it was in Bella's crotch. Breathing through his nose was proving a trial, but he was unwilling to cease his tirade of tongue fucking and wicked licking of her clit, deciding that the sight of her writhing in pleasure, grasping her own breaths was as good as oxygen.

_Fuck. Gonna come. _

He sped up his movements, briefly stopping to squeeze and tug at his tightening balls, rolling them in his sure fingers, enjoying the contrasting feelings of pleasure than merely touching his cock alone.

Through hazed eyes she watched his movements, even as close as she was to exploding.

'Finish in me...finish together...' she begged him seductively, biting her own lip as she continued twisting and tweaking her hardened nipples.

_Cut. Check. Done._

He raised his kneeling position to immediately penetrate her willing warmth and could only be glad that she came as he slid in, as he was about to do the same. One thrust was all it took, the mad pulsing of her slick walls milking him to the point of pain, gobbling him up greedily to the point where his balls were the only part of his manhood that weren't inside of her body.

'BELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YES!' he cried, screaming the words right into her face as she swam in her own silent storm of extreme pleasure, mouth scrunched into an adorable 'o' as her pussy tightened almost unforgivably around the man she loved.

_Oh, well. There are worse ways to die._

**CHAPTER** Forty

It was safe to say that shared shower time was a newly added facet of Edward Cullen's routine, granted it was only on the nights when his delicious girlfriend stayed over.

Good thing that was nearly every night.

After the first instance of a full weekend sleeping in the same bed, they both quickly realised that returning to empty sheets was really not a satisfactory option.

On the evening of what would forever be emblazoned in his thoughts as the inaugural motor boating of Bella-Boobies, they had stopped by the house she shared with Charlie so that she could pack a bag with enough necessities for an undisclosed length of stay at Edward's palatial home.

Squirming in the lovely heated seats of his silver beauty, he enjoyed the heated leather cushions that were soothing his recently exercised groin muscles. While making love and fucking his Bella was an activity which he would partake of until he was incapable of moving, he could not deny that the heated vibrations of his seat were a welcome balm to his overworked groin.

'You got ants in your pants there Cullen?' he heard from his sexy companion. Her snickers were like bells in his reddening ears, a recent bodily response that he loathed but his companion adored. He merely grunted in response, mockingly pouting his lips in pretended annoyance.

Driving along the roads to Charlie's house, he tried to focus but was admittedly defeated when Bella started to touch him and show her affection, in small almost unconscious ways. A warm hand placed on his strong thigh, gently scratching the nape of his neck with her seeking fingers weaving through the thick coppery strands.

'hmmm..' his voice muttered, unbidden and definitely unwanted by him.

She looked at him in absolute astonishment and tentatively increased her motions, cocking her head slightly as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

'purr..mmm' the noise came again from what was undeniably his own voice.

'Edward...are you purring, baby?' she asked, not mocking in the slightest.

'I...ummm...purrrrrrrrrrr...no it's the car engine...mmm...purrrrr' he said again, arching his neck slightly so that her fingers had more room. He stretched his back like a cat as she increased the span of her scratching/massaging.

'Um Edward...baby, you stopped the car ten minutes ago. The engine isn't on...' she whispered, unwilling to break this relaxed and half awake trance he was in. Her words seemed to penetrate his mind slowly, and his eyes widened slowly as he realised that he had stopped the car and moved over to a hidden off-beat path from the country rode they were driving along.

'Fuck! I didn't even know...that's dangerous Bella! I put you in danger! How can I not be aware of something so serious as my actions in a car? Fuck!' he screeched, banging the steering wheel in self reproach before swiftly exiting the car, unwilling for her to see him in such a state.

He paced amongst the close set trees, angrily treading his footprints into the bracken covered ground. He didn't go so far as to punch the hard looking wood of the trees but a small part of him was sorely tempted.

_How could I be so unaware? We could have fucking crashed! And it would be all my fault. My precious Bella...what have I done? Can she trust herself to be with me? Can I actually take care of her? Am I the right man for her after all?_

'Edward Cullen! You stop thinking that right now! Of course you are the right man for me. That back there? First of all, I shouldn't have been distracting you so it wasn't your fault. Secondly, have you thought about what your stopping the car actually means?' she asked him, huffing angrily at her irrational and at the same time tempting boyfriend who was storming around and unwittingly speaking his thoughts aloud.

He crashed around at her angry words and narrowed his eyes in contemplation of her visage.

_Fuck she is hot when she is angry._

She was fiery and alive, tits pushed out due to her arms crossly folded under the heaving mounds.

_Concentrate!_

'...what do you mean Bella? Of course I know the implications! I'm obviously too easily distracted by you – I can't even operate a car in your presence! Do you know how dangerous that is?' he yelled, feeling his pulse beat and his cock harden so fast that it made him stumble slightly against the nearest tree. The scent of the air, natural and woodsy crept into his nose. The combination of this volatile beauty and the beautiful setting was proving trying to his concentration, again.

_Must not fuck her against a tree._

_Must not fuck her against a tree._

_Must not fuck her against a tree._

'Edward! Shut the fuck up! It means that even when you are otherwise occupied, you care about me so much that somewhere in that unconscious mind of yours, you are prepared to always take care of me. You knew that I was distracting you and you stopped the car to avoid an accident. I don't care what you tell yourself, that is what happened. Now shut the fuck up and kiss me!' she yelled before launching herself at him.

_What the fuc-hmmmm Bella kisses!_

_Must fuck Bella against a tree_

_Must fuck Bella against a tree_

_Must fuck Bella against a tree_

For once he gave in entirely to his controlling inner monologue.

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On their way back to the car, he couldn't help but make an amusing observation.

'Bella dear, I may have ants in my pants, but at least I can walk in a slightly straighter line than you..and I am the one that did most of the work!' he chuckled, adoring the irritated reddening of her creamy skin.

The rather painful thump of her leafy, mud encrusted shoe was the only response he got.

**CHAPTER** Forty One

As he responded to the last of Bella's careful directions, he curved onto her and Charlie's street. It was a smallish road with lovely avenues of trees along the sidewalk, giving the place a kind of rustic beauty that belied some of the more out-dated houses on various lots. Charlie and Bella lived at the end of the drive, and he was able to appreciate the setting of their land.

The lawns were quite large, bare but well kept. The back of their land looked onto the mouth of the forest and if he strained to hear it, a fast flowing river not too far away.

_This place definitely has potential. _

_The house however, did not. _

I can see why Bella wanted to rebuild on their existing land instead of buying new altogether.

The house was faded and leaning towards the last of its sturdiness. It was simple and unadorned, not ugly precisely but indicated no luxury apartments either. The paint and tiles were neat enough and had obviously been freshened fairly neatly, but the house seemed to cry out in remembrance of its earlier despair. The place was not necessarily neglected but neither did it mirror the strong familial love which he knew Charlie and Bella shared.

His architectural mind was already whizzing with ideas and additions to Bella's carefully laid out plans and he felt his fingers slowly motioning for a pencil and paper.

_If I swept the curve here and –_

'Not now Edward. Come inside and let's catch up with Dad,' she said, tugging his hand firmly up the path.

He furrowed his brows at her, completely confused at how she had known what he was thinking.

'Because I know you Edward! Now come on, or no bacon bagels for you!' she tittered, turning her head briefly to wink at him like the saucy vixen she was proving to be.

_How did she know what I was thinking? Am I speaking out loud? NOOOOOOO I MUST HAVE THE BACON BAGELS!_

Opening the rather sad looking door, she swiftly pulled him through and deposited her jacket and bag on the table that was set with a key bowl and a rather large pile of mail, next to the door.

'Dad, I'm home! Edward's here, you want to come down and say hi? I am sure the fishing channel won't miss you for half an hour!' she shouted up the narrow stair case.

He took a moment to look around and noted that the place was a little more cheery than the outside. It was clean and tidy, rather stylish in small, unfixed ways. The little touches were all there, but they somehow did not fit comfortably on the greying canvas of these walls and bricks.

_I'm going to work my magic for these two. They deserve it. Now how do I tell them that I'm going to do it for free?_

The dulcet tones of a grumbling Charlie could be heard, slamming a door from somewhere upstairs. They were met with his moustachioed presence, sulking down the stairs somewhat, grumbling under his breath about 'missing the fish'.

Bella merely rolled her eyes. Clearly this was usual behaviour.

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Bella ended up making them a quick lunch, so they all three sat around the little kitchen table enjoying her healthy recipe lasagne. He admired the taste of it, especially considering the lean ingredients and low fat cheeses used in it all.

_Mom is going to love her._

He made a mental note to set up a dinner night at his parents, eager to show off his lovely new love.

They all conversed happily and without restraint, a peculiar feeling indeed considering that they were all very new in their relationships. Charlie was pleased that Bella had rebounded so well from her stay in the hospital and if Edward didn't know any better, he could swear the gruff and handsome older man was looking at him with a gleam of approval in the familiar brown eyes he had passed down to his only child.

When they were finished and had all informed each other of their upcoming plans for the time being, Bella made to gather the dishes but was swiftly stopped by Edward's hand on her wrist.

'No way bab- er Bella. You cooked, I'll clean,' he told her, blushing at inadvertently calling her such a sweet name in front of her father. He was met with a blush as well as she simply nodded a happy acquiescence before announcing that she was going up to gather her things.

He watched her go with a somewhat sappy grin on his face, only to move his gaze to the rather smug grin of Charlie Swan.

_Ugggh I hate smug people. _

He swiftly gathered the dishes and began washing and drying in the small kitchen, eager for something to do that would remove him from Charlie's direct line of sight. He was just about done with the last one and was beginning to wonder where to put the dish he was holding when Charlie suddenly piped up.

'So Edward, I take it you're going to marry my daughter then?'

**CHAPTER** Forty Two

In Edward's younger days, while he favoured above all the heroic tales of chivalrous knights and beautiful maidens, he had not been averse to the odd comic book. He enjoyed the complex mythology behind some of the characters and appreciated the complexities of darker anti-heroes like Batman and Wolverine. However, one thing that he had never liked about comic books was there over reliance on onomatopoeia, particularly when you would rather the character say what he was really thinking.

So it was rather ironic that he would embarrass himself in such a strange fashion in front of his girlfriend's father.

At the unexpected words, the plate he was holding crashed to the floor, ricocheting loudly against the little kitchen table on its descent.

His unruly inner monologue was once again his ultimate foil.

Crash.

Bang.

'Wallop,' he said out loud.

Utter silence met his strange retort and it took him a full twenty seven seconds to brave looking at Charlie. When he was brave enough to meet his gaze, he was confronted with a moustache that was twitching to such an extent that he was afraid Charlie was plugged into some unseen live socket. But no, his limbs were in fact only trembling from the great belly laugh that he was trying and failing to keep down.

'Wallop, Edward? I ask if you are going to marry my daughter and you say wallop. D'ya want me to wallop you one in the head, is that what you mean? Cause, ya know I am a police officer...I know how to make people disappear...' he mocked before dissolving into fits and giggles.

He stood there in absolute embarrassment, a slowly dripping cloth causing his trousers to meet a growing wet stain, unfortunately in an area where you don't want it.

_Is he serious here? I mean of course I'm going to marry Bella! Is he saying I can ask her now? Awesome!_

And just as he was about to potentially broker the subject between them, potential fiancé and potential father in law, he squared his shoulders and looked Charlie straight in the eye. He tried to convey the depths of his emotions for this man's daughter, that he loved and cherished her beyond anything. And perhaps he was understood for a moment because a softer, more serious smile crossed the older man's face as he took in Edward's fierce and eager expression.

Unfortunately (or rather fortunately as the case may be) the loud raucous laughter drew down his beautiful brunette Goddess, a couple of full looking duffle bags in both hands, a slightly alarmed look on her pretty features.

'Wallop? Dad, Edward...what the fuck is going on? Dad I swear, if you have been trying to mess with Edward you will be eating garden salads for a month!' she threatened in deadly earnest.

The deep flush of Charlie's laughter vanished almost immediately and he straightened his spine in absolute fear of his daughters (aka the chef of the house) threat.

_Ha-ha that shut him up. Smug fucker. I'm so going to build a huge salad bar in their new house. Stick that in your pipe moustache man! _

'Er umm hey Bella. No I was just talking about Wally at work. Took him for all he had today at poker. Yeah so um...will you make sure that you buy some steaks when you go shopping next?' he asked her plaintively, actually bringing one arm behind his back and scuffing his toes like a little boy.

It was obviously regular behaviour to Bella, despite it being completely surreal to his mind. She merely nodded in amusement, glad that her threat had worked.

_No messing with the boyfriend in this house apparently. Heehee Bella is on my side! Maybe I'll forget the salad bar..._

They all seemed to recover from the slight moment of awkwardness, and the young couple made motions to start their journey back into the city. Swiftly taking the bags from her grip, he easily held them in one hand whilst holding the door open for her like the gentleman his parents had taught him to be. As Bella said goodbye to her father, she exited in front of him and as his back was turned to shut the door behind him, he missed the tender expression on Charlie's face as he watched this accomplished and caring man take care of his only earthly treasure remaining.

But Charlie's sense of humour would no doubt be his downfall.

As they were getting into the car, he shouted out after them.

'And Edward, don't think that I haven't forgotten that you never answered my question! Maybe we can go fishing sometime to talk about it more?' he yelled, moustache twitching in direct proportion the level of humour he felt at his own words as he swiftly shut the door, away from the potential cannon fire.

In the silver car, Edward felt twin thrills of pleasure at Charlie's inferred acceptance of his desire to marry Bella and also the potential for revenge at the interfering old busybody, a desire which was only increased when Bella looked at him in absolute confusion.

'What question is he talking about Edward? What did my Dad want to talk to you about?' she asked, confusion and perhaps a glimmering of hope shining in her chocolate brown eyes.

Panicked, he floundered for what to say.

Fuck it! Damn man knew I wanted to ask Bella to marry me. I am so building that fucking salad bar.

Little did he know that he was displaying his latest tendency of speaking out loud.

**CHAPTER** Forty Three

'I...*cough*...I...*cough*...fuck I can't breathe!' Bella yelled into the silence of the car, abruptly choking for breath and swiftly turning an alarming shade of red.

'Bella! Oh my God! What's wrong –shit don't answer that. Calm, let's just calm down. It's just you and me here baby, everything else can wait,' he urged, struggling to control the panic in his own voice, unwittingly using the familiar words that he had used when she had suffered her panic attacks before.

He tapped his chest, urging her concentration to focus solely on his beat, eager to see the delicate hue of her natural blush as opposed to the deep red tinge that was dusting her cheeks.

Deep brown eyes met his own anxious gaze and he met it directly as if he directly pour his love and affection into her body simply by looking at her. She drew in deep, ragged breaths bringing up one hand to clutch at his, squeezing in time with the beat he orchestrated for her concentration. The panicked redness eventually faded into retreat and her breathing finally came back under her own control.

He felt his brows knit in worry as he finally allowed the tension to affect him, wondering what on earth had caused this latest bout of anxiety in his petite lover.

He brought her head against his chest and cradled her within his strong embrace, tucking her up under the material of his jacket. Smoothing a hand down the long lengths of her hair, he dared to question what had troubled her so.

"Bella, love? What happened there? Did I say something wrong? I didn't say anything did I? If you are worried about your Dad and me...he er, was just trying to get a rise out of me I think,' he finished on a strained chuckle, not yet willing to broach the topic of his apparent proposal.

_No that will be in candle light and preferably we will be naked. _

She raised her head for a moment and gazed at him for a long time.

He could not quite make out the varying emotions that flitted on her face, but he was at least glad that his words had not renewed the onset of her panic attack.

Squarely meeting his eyes, she brought her hands up to his face and delicately traced the fine lines around his eyes that were becoming permanent, despite the joy and love that Bella had brought into his life.

She reached her naturally pouty lips up to his mouth and proceeded to deliver the sweetest set of kisses that the two of them had ever shared.

When she had finished, she eased back again and stared him straight in the eye.

'Edward, please forgive me for panicking there. It seems that whenever I see my dearest wishes being played out before me it causes me a smidgen of anxiety at the thought that it is all a dream and that I might be waking up before the grand finale. Just know that I am with you 100 percent of the way, and that anything you might want to ask me in the future, I absolutely guarantee that the answer will be yes. Now let's get going, we have a dinner reservation to meet with our friends!' she spoke in her beautifully husky voice, unintentionally setting shivers running down his spine.

As usual, her words were slow to permeate the small portion of his brain that seemed to work in her presence.

_Huh? Question...did she know what I was thinking? Please don't tell me I spoke out loud...wait a fucking minute...did she just say that she would absolutely say yes? I must be dreaming. I haven't had my bacon bagel yet, that's all it is..._

'Oh and Edward,' his Goddess spoke, breaking him out of his stupefied thoughts a little.

He turned a rather glassy expression her way, wondering what else might come out of her beautiful mouth.

'I think a salad bar would be a great idea, we should definitely add it to the plans. And you are not doing it all for free!' she tittered, blushing five shades of pink now as she dropped her deadly hints.

Automatically he started the car, and devoted his attention to the road, keen to avoid another incident like the one this morning. As he drove along the country roads, Bella held his hand, gently massaging his ring finger, with a near perfect facade of nonchalance.

_So apparently I speak out loud now. _

_Fuck me._

**CHAPTER** Forty Four

They were meeting their friends in the city for a late dinner and if the weather stayed nice, a stroll along the riverbank. It was a beautiful setting with twinkling lights over the water and the pleasant hum of varying street musicians blending into a mosaic to please the senses.

Hmmm might be a nice place to propose...SHUT THE FUCK UP EDWARD. You seriously cannot go for five seconds without remembering Bella's kind-of-but-not-really acceptance of your kind-of-but-not-really proposal.

_Douche._

'Who are you calling a douche? Douche,' he said to his mirrored self.

_And who exactly are you talking to? You are arguing (and failing) with your own inner monologue dude. You need help. Or a blow job. Whatever option works best._

He scowled at his erratic thoughts, his fingers fumbling slightly at the dual thoughts of strangling his own neck and of Bella going down on him.

HOT.

His thoughts seemed to focus on that particular sexual activity of late.

_I wonder why? _

_Um...perhaps because it hasn't happened yet? Douche._

_Stop calling me a douche!_

'Arrrggggh quit it!' he yelled, finally abandoning the tie and turning away from the mirror, only to find an amused Bella tittering silently to herself as she leant against the door frame.

'Having a conversation without me, huh? Well I hope you weren't calling yourself a douche! I happen to think you are very un-douche like. Now come here and let me do your tie,' she instructed, unintentionally sounding like a sexy mother.

_Again, hot. _

He couldn't deny that the thought of seeing Bella's rounded belly, swelling with his seed was a dizzying thought...as well as a cock hardening one.

As he tried his best not to drool, he consciously blinked several times to try and take in a better picture of his surroundings. They were in his rather large dressing room, which now housed a significant number of sexy dresses and what resembled medieval torture devices but purported to be used in beauty regimes.

His lovely girlfriend was wearing a purple dress which ended at her knees and which had a built in corset which alleviated the need for a brassiere.

_Perhaps she really is trying to torture me._

Her hair was swept up in a beautifully messy arrangement of curls and waves atop the crown of her head, long soft strands falling strategically here and there. The only adornments to her pretty skin were the half heart pendant he had gifted her with and a pair of white gold studs that had been a graduation present from her gruff, loving father.

He realised he was smiling like a crazy person as she finished arranging his tie and could not help but sigh a little as she surveyed her handiwork with pride.

'There all done! Now let me have a look at you,' she said excitedly.

She took a step back and eyed his slate coloured dress pants and tie, paired with a maroon shirt. He could not help but feel flattered when her eyes widened appreciatively at the sight of his bare forearms, his shirt sleeves rolled up artfully to expose the muscled limbs.

'See something you like there Swan?' he asked cockily, unable to stop himself from crossing his arms to emphasise the sleek musculature. He watched in delight as her cocoa eyes widened in arousal and defiance, with their message loud and clear.

_Game on, bitch!_

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They had enjoyed a wonderful meal and a couple of drinks with their friends, along with a healthy dose of nauseating smugness. As soon as they had walked in, holding hands and looking uncomfortably aroused, the four schemers (Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice) soon began their own agenda of teasing, torment, snooping and high-fiving.

'So Eddie! You're looking awful jittery tonight? Did you pull a muscle or something? Or maybe it was Bella who pulled it for you...' the giant snorted, skilfully avoiding the expected cuff on the head from Rose.

'What? I am only making an observation. So guys, how is the sex- Rosie quit hitting me there, don't you want to ride the major later?' he whined, using both large hands to cover his crotch which had just been the victim of his partners painful fingers.

'Emmett McCarty! I swear on everything you hold dear, that if you don't stop making explicit references to Edward and Bella's sex life then I will follow through on various threats which include immediate demotion from Major to Private, telling your Mama what you said about her meat loaf and informing everyone hear what it was you asked me to do to you last night...' she said in surprisingly well modulated accents.

To those who didn't know Emmett McCarty, they might not be as amused as Edward and Jasper to see the colour fading rapidly from his face. Sweat quickly popped on his brow as he cast sheepish glances at the now amused faces of his former victims.

'Sorry guys,' he pouted moodily, before whispering in a carrying voice to a now rather smug Rosalie, 'Baby you said that I had nothing to be ashamed of about that...that it was okay to ask you to touch me there...that you found it quite sexy...'.

The two couples who were not a part of this titillating conversation soon found themselves facing the walls and the door as they knew the one look at the others' faces would result in laughter of pee-in-the-pants variety.

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He talked with Jasper for a while on a couple of ventures that they were interested in before he remembered that he hadn't told the wider group his other piece of good news.

'So guys, I guess I forgot to tell you. I received a resignation letter today from Tanya. I am going to try to persuade Quill to stay on permanently as he does a great job. If only my mother would forgive me,' he said to their suddenly jubilant faces. The thought of his mother put something else to his mind as well.

'Bella love, I forgot to mention. I phoned Mom when we got back from Charlie's to maybe arrange a night where we could all get together so you could meet them. She wondered if you would like to go out for dinner or if you preferred staying at their house one weekend? She can't wait to meet you,' he added, grinning in remembrance of his mothers squeals of excitement as he told her of his Bella.

_Maybe Alice and Esme are related? Why do women squeal?_

He waited for everyone's reactions and noted that he seemed to have overloaded them with information in too short a time frame. Jasper and Emmett looked full of glee that 'Tart-an-ya' as they had dubbed her once, would now no longer be a part of their lives. Rosalie looked mischievous for some strange reason and Alice...well Alice was vibrating in her seat.

And Bella?

She was doing a remarkable impression of a goldfish.

Happily, the situation was effectively summed up by Alice who seemed unable to channel her excess excitement.

'Edward! Are you telling me that we don't have to deal with Tanya ever again!? And that Esme wants to meet Bella? Oh my god, you guys are totally getting married! Can I design the wedding? Bella have you picked a dress? Bella can I be a bridesmaid-' she was quickly cut off as Jasper gently placed his hand over his partner's mouth in well practiced manoeuvre.

He didn't know whether to laugh, gasp, stare blankly or chuckle. He did know however that he most definitely should not fart, burp or allow mysterious noises to emanate from his stomach.

He looked at his lovely Bella, his arm wrapped around her as they cuddled in the large booth of the restaurant and was relieved to see that she had swapped her goldfish impression for a wry chuckle and an almost secretive smile that everyone but him missed.

She turned in the safety of his arms to gently wink at him and it sent his heart soaring.

_So I guess the answer to Alice would be 'yes to all', please._

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They had opted to take a long walk along the river bank as the night was dry and warm. The moon was full and hung in the sky as if a skilled painter had placed it there just for them. The couples broke off for a little while, each lost in their own romantic musings.

As he felt the wind on his face, clear and bracing, he squeezed his love's shoulders, drawing her further into the safety of his embrace, simply glad that he was alive to enjoy this never ending moment.

He placed a kiss in her hair and drew a deep breath so that his nostrils were filled with her beguiling scent.

'I love you, Bella,' he said quietly.

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As the couples prepared to depart in different taxis, the girls all embraced in a particularly long hug while he participated in the manly ritual of bracing man hugs...well except with Emmett who liked to bear hug.

_You've got to love him really. Particularly if Rose keeps hitting him in the balls. _

He had a new level of sympathy and respect for his giant friend.

The ball-breaker aka Rose was currently whispering in Bella's ear and whatever she was saying was causing Bella's skin to flush with excitement and nerves. As she drew back from her embrace, he saw Bella glance at him, biting her lush bottom lip before turning once more to Rose and nodding to her whispered question.

Rose moved to kiss Jasper and himself goodbye and it was then that she uttered the words which upgraded her to General.

'So Edward, do you want to swing by the studio sometime and see Bella doing her thing?'

**CHAPTER** Forty Five

It would be safe to assume that his answer would be yes, despite his sudden on-set selective muteness. Rosalie merely laughed at his stupefaction and kissed Bella on the cheek once more, before side-checking Emmett into the taxi with one curved hip.

_I think it's easy to see who is Master in their bedroom...I've so got to ask Emmett about earlier._

His lamentable inner monologue seemed to be floating around everything but the insistent gold butterfly that kept trying to fly inside his horny little mind. He was mildly aware that his mouth was a little open, though thankfully not hanging wide. He looked down at his fingers and hands and tried to examine the callused and recognisable digits.

_Yeah, it's still me...same fingers and toes. So why have I suddenly won ten lotteries all at the same time?_

His gaze was drawn to the beautiful girl at his side, peeping up at him with only slight hesitation. She raised one delicately arched eyebrow at his silence, clearly trying to fight her amusement at his reaction.

She twined her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to look directly into his eyes.

'Would you like that Edward? Would you like to see me work? It's not usually allowed but I am sure we can work something out...' she whispered into his ear, biting the sensitive lobe that sent shivers down his long spine.

His arms wrapped firmly around her taut waist, gathering her tightly into his protective embrace. His primal instincts were being increasingly awoken these days, his need to mark and protect his woman being a strong instinct which warred with his gentlemanly training.

Summoning super human strength and concentration, he endeavoured to answer his Bella before succumbing to the deliciousness of her kisses.

'I love you, baby. You know fine well how much I would love to see you working, but I don't want you to feel pressurised in organising it. Anyway, you should know by now that I never miss an episode...' he whispered closely into her blushing neck before suddenly picking her up bride style and raining delicate kisses over her joyful form, as the light of the silvery moon shone on the dark waters of the riverside.

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The next few weeks passed in wonderful bliss. Their relationship moved at a pace which was natural and desired by both partners. Bella's wonderful philosophy on life seemed to arrive at a fated intersection of Edward's destiny. The loneliness that had pervaded his life had somewhat dampened his increasingly obsessive and gruelling dedication to his professional life, such that the wonderfully long hours he spent with his love did not conflict with the other areas of his life. He might not have realised it, but her welcome presence in his life had actually improved his work life balance and his loyal employees were happy to witness relaxed smiles on the boss's face. The lines around his face were less pronounced and his step sometimes had a veritable skip in it.

Particularly on the days when he met Bella for lunch.

Their arrangement was usually for Bella to let herself into his office. He had gladly gifted her with the necessary badges and key cards to his work place, such was his trust in her.

He was currently involved in the initial stages of designing Charlie's retirement haven and had a few important surprises that he wanted to go over with his chocolate eyed Goddess. He had texted her to simply come on up to his office with their lunch, which she was bringing. He had realised the benefits of having a wonderfully beautiful and talented lover when she started making him delicious home-made lunches.

She had even expanded on his love of bacon bagels. He was now particularly fond of crispy bacon inside Irish soda-bread and of her take on bacon Panini's.

He let his pen dangle uselessly for a moment as he contemplated the tantalising treat no doubt awaiting his palette, turning his chair from the window as he heard his door opening and soft womanly footfalls treading on the thick pile of his carpet.

Smile already on his face, he started speaking before he had even taken in her appearance.

'Hey baby, can't wait for lunch. I swear you are a better cook than Mo-'

He stopped talking abruptly as he took in the highly amused form of his Mother as she struggled to restrain a smile at his faux pas.

'Who is a better cook than your Mama, Edward?'

**CHAPTER** Forty Six

He realised that he had yet to answer his Mothers enquiry and decided that deflection was his best option. Most of his mind knew that she was joking but still...

_...you do not insult your Mama's cooking...ever!_

He allowed his natural smile to spread unencumbered across his face, swiftly moving from his seat and rushing to embrace the woman who had given him life.

'Hi Mom, I am so glad to see you,' he told her, grinning like a little child into her sweet smelling neck as he embraced him as only a mother could. Stooping somewhat, he placed his head into the crook of her soft shoulder and allowed her familiar perfume to ignite memories of rushing on school mornings and the anticipation of re-crossing the home threshold and smelling wondrous scents emanating from his mothers kingdom...the kitchen.

Momentarily hidden from her line of sight, he missed the silent prayer of thankfulness that she spoke to the ceiling. If he could lip-read he would have been able to make out her words

_Thank-you for sending him love..._

_Thank-you for saving my son..._

_Thank-you for returning the shine to those eyes..._

With a final squeeze of around her soft waist, he straightened up and submitted to her motherly fussing, straightening his crooked tie and fixing his unruly hair.

'Well my boy. You look mighty proud of yourself. I hope I am not interrupting anything...' she asked with a rather sly tone to her perfectly modulated voice. She arched a delicately shaped eyebrow, a softer version of his own, in question.

Meeting her green gaze, he felt the blush of one to whom failings of avoiding parental bullshit radar's was familiar.

'Nope not at all Mom. Do you remember our last phone conversation?' he said out loud.

Of course she does. She might as well have an eidetic memory when it comes to her off-springs romantic life.

'Yes of course I do, darling,' she told him, saccharin sweet and doe eyed innocent.

_In other words, don't mess with me, boy. _

'You told me all about your new lady friend, Isabella, whom I suspect is the challenger to my culinary mantle? Well there is only one way to solve that isn't there? I may just have to stay and sample some of this legendary cooking!' she said in deceptively soft tones.

_Edward Cullen knew better than to question Mother. _

Shaking his head ruefully, he grinned a little at the thought of his two favourite women being in the same room. He could only hope that his parents would keep an open mind about some of his girl's more personal facts.

'Of course you are welcome to say Mom, I know for a fact that Bella always cooks more than necessary and...speak of the devil, here she is...Mom, best behaviour okay? Bella is...special to me and I don't want you scaring her off with any talk about weddings or grandbabies – understood?' he said, for once making his parent understand where the line in the sand was.

Literally standing on her tip toes to get a better look, Esme looked nothing short of jubilant at meeting the mysterious Bella and at the pleas from her son, she circled her head as if to imitate the perfect halo for her proposed angelic behaviour.

Standing where he was, he didn't see the fingers crossed behind her back.

Through the frosted glass windows to his office, he could make out his lovely Bella conversing with Quill, no doubt a willing accomplice to his Mothers loving machinations. She smiled at his assistant, not noticing the blank stare she caused to yet another victim of her charms. If he were not as secure in his trust of her love, the male attention she garnered would bother him. Well it would bother him more than it did.

_I guess it helps that Bella likes it when I go caveman on her._

She walked quickly towards his office, and knocked twice before entering with confidence, but stopping short on the threshold at the sight of the woman who could only be Edward's mother.

He watched as his love's mouth floundered for position for a few seconds before snapping shut and looking towards him in entreaty. Realising quickly that it was his role to make the introductions, he moved toward his girlfriend quickly and swept her up into his arms, a little less passionately than was normal for them perhaps, but he did not want to scare her in front of his mother.

He softly and quickly kissed her lips before taking the heavy looking bags from her grasp. He looked and saw that her knuckles were white with the straining grip she had on the plastic handles and he immediately took it as a sign to a panic attack precursor. He kept a hold on her hand and softly kneaded her digits, silently communicating his loving presence to her and wishing to convey that this was not a situation which warranted panicking over.

With wholly focused attention on the beautiful woman at his side, he missed the quick and silent tear that escaped Esme's eyes at her sons loving behaviour towards the younger woman.

Edward put one strong arm around Bella and beckoned his Mother over with his free hand, having dropped the bags onto a free chair. She came willingly and soon took his hand, eager to make introductions.

'Bella, this is my Mom, Esme Cullen. I'm pretty sure she will kill me if you dare call her Mrs Cullen so I would go with Esme if I were you,' he said, eager to diffuse any stress that his girlfriend might be feeling.

'Mom, I want you to meet Bella Swan, my girlfriend,' he stated proudly, looking down into those brown eyes, eager for her to understand the pride he had in making such a statement, especially to his parent.

'Oh Bella! Oh you are so beautiful! I invited myself over for lunch, is that alright? It smells delicious. Oh Lordy look at you two! You will make me such beautiful grandbabies!' she gushed, almost as if she were channelling her inner Alice.

Even knowing Esme's propensity for saying what she thought, he still blanched slightly at her mention of grandbabies, worried that it might set his panic-stricken girlfriend into a spiral of worry.

He needn't have worried though; his girl was apparently made of sterner stuff than that.

After a moment of stupefaction at Esme's eager greeting, Bella simply smiled which turned into a grin before finally bursting into that hearty belly laughter that signalled her true amusement.

She took the older woman's hands in her own and spoke in such sensible tones that he wondered if she had to calm Alice down in a similar manner.

'Okay Esme, it is. Firstly I made plenty of vegetable Lasagne, I hope that sounds okay. Secondly please let us have a few years to ourselves and then I promise I will work on the grandbabies. Thirdly I love your son and hope you can get to know me a bit better. Are you ready for lunch then guys?' she said, her tone never wavering as she started to unpack plates and napkins.

He watched the blank, delighted gaze of his mother and knew that she was rejoicing in having met such a wonderful girl for her son, but also in having met her match at witty repartee.

His mothers gaze moved from the beautiful girl to her son and he clearly understood her silent message.

_Don't fuck it up._

**CHAPTER Forty Six**

If he thought for any length of time on the lonely years of his life before he had met Bella, they appeared in his memory as if through a grimy mirror. He saw some parts; the lonely nights, the gruelling years of climbing the professional ladder, the gradual distancing of himself from family and friends. The memories, however, were dull. They had been glossed over with gilded edges and soft hues of brown and gold. But, like all wallpapering, the ugliness it covers is still present, behind the glittering covers.

The plans for Charlie and Bella's new place were now at the top of his priority list and he was glad that he could give the project his entire attention. He had not worked on so small a project in a long time, so it was particularly gratifying to be able to give such attention to detail to the small things that would make this place a haven of tranquillity for his new loved ones. Despite a few gruff attempts at pleading to the contrary, Charlie had been overruled on the salad bar by his daughter. Once those doe eyes were unleashed it was nigh impossible to refute her desires, especially when they were almost always concerned with the health and well being of everyone around her.

_Apparently I'm not the only victim to that particular trick. _

He had assuaged Charlie's grumbles about suffering masculinity and wounded pride by showing him the preliminary designs for his new 'man cave'. When he saw the square footage that Edward was dedicating to his entertainment system alone, he had quickly forgotten about salad bars and the disappearance of his daughter's presence at an alarming rate on most week nights...

They had now been dating for four months, and it had truly been the happiest time of his life. For at least five nights out of seven, she would stay at his place and on the days where she didn't travel to work in the city, he would back from work to a smell of 'home'. It was a hundred little things that marked the space as 'his and Bella's'. Her delicate perfume and scented body lotions would tease his scents as he showered after she had left the bathroom. Her delicious home-cooking would lovingly send out teasing hints of deliciousness that would fill the rooms, slowly and steadily. Her sweet smelling hair and neck would fill his face as he held her shuddering, sweaty form as they collapsed after achieving release.

It was just...home.

After the highly colourful lunch with Esme, they had dutifully arranged a date for a family get together. They would be having dinner at the Cullen mansion the weekend after next, something that he was rather looking forward to. He wanted to share himself with this woman, in every way possible, just like Bella seemed to as well.

They had many conversations about her work, mostly from Bella's insecurities that he would gradually get over what she perceived to be the 'novelty'. When she had actually progressed to describing herself as a glorified stripper during what he was theorising as PMS, he had actually felt annoyance and anger with her for perhaps the first time.

'_Bella! What the fuck? So does that make me some pervert or something? Am I your pimp all of a sudden?' he had shouted at her, his temper quickly spiralling out of control at her constant attempts to belittle herself. He gently gripped her upper arms so that she would look him in the face as he had learned that hard way that she tended to hide behind her long hair when she felt any sort of negative emotion. _

'_Talk to me Bella. You are not a 'glorified stripper'. Why are celebrated artists allowed to carve nude models out of marble but you are not allowed to take your clothes off for a living? Who says it is seedy? Do you want to know what I see? I see a clever, brave and beautiful woman who bares her soul and flesh for lucky bastards like me to see. For a few minutes a day, I got to learn about the news of the world in such a beautiful way. You don't hide behind masks or societal prejudices; you simply just do it your way. I love you for it,' he said, inching his nose through her long curtaining hair. Her tearful brown eyes peeped up at him, obviously still a little unsure, despite his words. _

'_But what about the men, Edward? What about people like Mike? Doesn't that make you want to end things with me?' she whispered unwillingly, drawing out the words in nothing more than a painfully hoarse whisper. _

_He dropped his hands from her warm body and sighed in frustration, one hand going into his hair and tugging at the copper locks resignedly. _

_I show and tell her in so many ways that I love her, including all the bumps and baskets. I'm not thrilled that she has a legion of crazy men who are no doubt in love with her and that somewhere in that legion are at least a couple of 'Mikes'. But they don't get to make love to her, kiss her, live with her. How do I make her understand?_

_He looked up to see her hugging her chest, one fist at her scar. She was literally holding herself together at the seams. She was truly crying now, her delicate white skin reddening with angry tears. He opened his arms wide and scooped her up before going to sit with her on the comfortable couches in the entertainment room. Depositing her firmly on his lap, he cradled her tightly to his chest before attempting to allay her fears for good. _

'_Bella sweetheart, how can I say this any differently? Am I thrilled that you have an army of fans who love that sexy body? No. Do I want you to stop doing what you do? Never. It's your body and your life babe. You are comfortable baring yourself for the lucky world to see, showing how brave you are and what you have come through. That is part of what makes you my Bella. Those guys that send the creepy letters? They don't get to be with you the way I do. All they get is the precious gift of seeing something beautiful like you for a few golden minutes a day and then they go back to their dreary lives. My life was dreary until I met you Bella. I lived for your programme days,' he confessed to her, glad to finally see a true smile breaking across her face as she leant up to kiss his lips. _

It wasn't the first time that she had needed the reassurance and it wouldn't be the last either.

NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS

Finishing up for the day, he spared a glance out of the window and was surprised at how dark the nights were getting, even as early as he was leaving nowadays. Since meeting Bella, his work life balance had definitely improved. He made a mental note to talk to Bella about travelling in the darker months. He had a strong craving to take her somewhere sunny for a while. He closed down his email and smiled at catching a glimpse of Nell's name in his inbox. A potentially embarrassing encounter had led to a rather promising third date between his mentor and Bella's father. They were two people who had been alone for a long time so he hoped it all went well for the pair of them. It also didn't hurt that it had given him a couple of brilliant shots at making the Chief blush like a tomato behind that twitching moustache.

_But I have since learned that the good old Chief never gave up his gun..._

He locked up his office and smiled at Quill, his now permanent personal assistant. Esme had given him conditional forgiveness, 'provided that I get gorgeous grandchildren within two years, Edward.'

_Thanks Mom, no pressure there then. _

After stopping to have a quick word with Quill about his weekend plans, he made his way out of the building, taking his time to smile and acknowledge every employee as he passed. He had overheard a rather amusing debate as to the reason that they had all received unexpected bonuses in their fall pay. He had listened outside of the lunch room at his employees ideas, feeling a smidgeon of pride that none of them made crude allusions to 'finally getting laid' that his supposed friends were known to throw around. It was safe to say that they had not received bonuses.

_I'm glad I gave the cheques to Rose and Alice instead. Revenge is sweet. Not as sweet as Bella, but still pretty sweet. _

He made his way to the parking garage and started off for home. While at the red light he smiled as Bella's name popped up on his hands free kit. Noticing that the light was about to turn green, he allowed her call to come through, desperate to hear her voice as she had spent a rare night at Charlie's place, eager to grill Charlie on his romance with Nell.

'Hey Baby, how was your day?' she said in that sexy voice that told him to expect a sexy surprise on his arrival at home. He grinned as he started to move forwards, carefully checking that everything was clear. He looked in the mirror and saw a fleeting glimpse of red and a person wearing sun glasses. He opened his mouth to return his love's introductory greeting but before he could, he was suddenly slammed into before everything went black, his last thought being a vague recognition of the panicked screams of his Bella through the car telephone.


	2. Chapter 47

**Naked News**

**Previously – things have been going really well for Edward and Bella. Crazy misunderstandings aside, they are falling in serious love and lust **** Shame I had to get Edward involved in a car crash cliffy. Expect short chapters to begin with.**

**Chapter 47**

The in-between world is a strange place. The consciousness does not fully reside there.

Images and feelings are fleeting things, without pattern or understanding. It is only when the mind begins to become conscious of the irrational, that the in-between slips to a place beyond reach or desire.

His mind was in that place right now. He was beginning to understand that the rush of images, colours and feelings were not all connected. The most predominant thoughts were of pain, of beautiful chocolate eyes and of a malicious sneer aimed at him.

Words began to filter through his awareness.

'...Seattle General...multiple contusions...skull fracture...Dr Gerandy...'

The blackness seemed to come and go in waves.

His first concrete thought was for water. His throat felt like it was on fire. Dazedly, he tried to gain control of his body. Struggling, his eyes blinked feebly against dull fluorescent lighting and off-white walls. Blinking again, he managed to focus his sight enough to realise that he was the single occupant of a hospital room. Trying to move his head slightly, he found that his movements were impeded somehow. Testing his toes and fingers, he found that he could wiggle them a little. In doing so, he felt the little white switch of an alert buzzer attached to his finger. Pressing it a couple of times, he waited to see if anyone would enter his room.

Blinking more firmly, he tried to take a mental inventory.

_I'm Edward Cullen. My mother is Esme and father is Carlisle. I am an architect. My favourite colour is chocolate brown. _

Momentarily satisfied that he knew who he was and that he could move his limbs, he listened attentively for the footsteps approaching the slightly ajar wooden door.

A young doctor entered, his stethoscope oddly looped around his wrist. His brown curly head buried in a chart, it took him several moments to look up and encounter bright green eyes.

'Edward? Can you hear me?' the doctor said in a surprised tone.

Edward purposefully blinked in response, hindered from any other movement by something he could not yet see. Starting to panic a little, he started lightly convulsing in anxiety. The doctor hurried over in alarm.

'Now, now, Mr Cullen...Can I call you Edward? Everything is okay. I am Dr Gerandy. You are in Seattle General Hospital. You have been here for three days. You were in a car crash. You are lucky to be alive.'

_Car crash? Me? How does that make me lucky?_

Seeming to understand his silent question, Dr Gerandy continued.

'You have several concussions and three small fractures towards the back of your skull. Your left leg is broken in two places and you have lost a lot of blood. Thankfully we got you here in time for the necessary blood transfusions. You should fully recover from this, Edward.'

It was enough for the broken man lying in the bed. His strength left him and he fell into a deep sleep.

He gradually became more alert as time stretched on. He woke up one day and found that he could move his head slightly with little pain. He saw his parents asleep in the chairs next to his bed and was glad for the sight of them. Glancing down slightly, he saw that he was wearing familiar pajamas instead of a hospital gown.

A flash of white metal caught his eye as he looked down again at his chest. He could not quite make out what it was and he knew a feeling of frustration.

Glancing around again, he saw signs of another occupant on the other side of his bed. A distinctly feminine handbag was strewn haphazardly across the back of the chair, a blue silky scarf spilling out of it. The sight of it caused him to breathe deeply, something innately familiar seeping through his senses.

Distracted, he could hear soft voices coming from just outside of the door, one of them distinctly female. There was something so soothing about the slightly husky accent that he felt himself relax as he listened to their words.

'Dr Gerandy, would it help if I donated again? I just feel so helpless. I'm scared that he might have brain damage from the trauma. How will his injuries affect him? What if...God please help me...'

TBC


	3. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

The disorientation upon waking was slowly starting to dissipate. Vaguely remembering the impediments to his head movement, he was agreeably surprised when he found that he could turn his head towards the door with little pain. Wiggling his toes and fingers, he was satisfied that he could feel and move all of his extremities. Purposefully blinking, he rallied his concentration and once again heard the pleasingly low female voice and what he assumed was his doctor.

'Dr Gerandy, do you have any updates on Edward's condition? Did the scans show any reduction in the swelling on his brain?' said the female voice. He saw shadows of movement in the shaft of light created by the slightly ajar door. Fumbling for the alarm attached to his fingers, he pressed it several times in the hopes of getting the attention of his family and the medical staff.

'Well Ms Swan, Mr and Mrs Cullen have cleared me to speak to you about Edward's medical details, so I can tell you that while the swelling has all but gone, there was something-' he cut off at the sound of Edward's medical alarm.

'Speak of the patient and he will answer!' he said happily.

Edward could see them cautiously entering the room.

He saw the young doctor who had previously woken him. His form was familiar enough to Edward that he felt relaxed at his presence. He turned to look at the woman next to him.

_Well of course. _

_I'm dead. _

_Well at least I have a Goddess to keep me company in the afterlife._

Anxious chocolate eyes looked into his forest green pair and life was suddenly right again.

_Bella Swan. Goddess. Mine_

He wordlessly struggled to lift his hand out for her to hold. Grimacing in concentration, he shakily tried to raise his limb towards her, unaware of the visage he presented.

Face scrunched up, looking as if he was pointing accusatorily, he stared at Bella, waiting for his stupid brain and body to catch up with the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, Bella took it the wrong way.

Looking as if her heart were breaking, he watched helplessly as she gasped, clutching at her chest. Turning swiftly she collided first with the door and with his father who had just entered into the room upon hearing the alarm signal.

Everything was happening so quickly.

Watching the last of Bella's long hair swish out of sight, his brain finally caught up with the situation.

'BELLA! COME BACK!'

He looked between his shocked parents and the doctor for help in retrieving back the love of his life.

'What's happening!? Someone go and get her! Dad, help me!' he rambled, anxious with the sudden onslaught of emotion so soon after he had woken.

Appearing to shake himself out of bewilderment, Carlisle quickly made for the door, shouting over his shoulder, 'of course I will son. It is so good to have you back!'

He locked eyes with Esme and immediately needed a comforting touch. Crying with a mixture of relief at seeing him wakened and shock at seeing the hurt in Bella's eyes, she quickly sat beside her son on the narrow bed and half pulled him into an embrace, his head quickly finding a natural resting place against her soft neck and shoulder.

'My life is like a fucking soap opera sometimes Ma. She makes it all worth it though,' he said in a muffled voice. Wordlessly, she raised her hand and started stroking the back of his beck and scalp with a gentle touch that went some way to soothing the shaking caused by the quick turn of events.

Unable to stop himself any longer, he let the tears come.

He woke again and was quickly relieved to find an asleep Bella half strewn across his legs, her hand holding his tightly, even in sleep.

His parents seemed to have gone home for some much needed sleep, safe in the knowledge that their son was awake and without serious brain damage.

_Dad must have gotten to her before she left. _

_I hope she didn't hurt herself. _

_Silly Bella. _

_As if I'd ever forget you._

He felt himself crying quietly as he looked down at the woman he loved.

The firm, his career, his house and cars; none of it mattered. His family and Bella were everything. Finding out about the accident could come later. He had everything that mattered. It was time to make it permanent.

Gently lifting his arm in a stronger, smoother motion than before, he rested his hand on her head and started sifting his fingertips through her thick, sweet smelling hair. He circled his fingers in circles, as he knew she liked to be woken in the morning.

Her head stirred against his legs and he watched her abruptly lift her head at the feeling of his fingers in her hair.

Her eyes locked with his and she started crying paths of salt tears to match his own.

'Edward…I'm so sorry…I couldn't-…I don't…I jus-' she started, but he gently placed a finger over her full lips.

'Marry me Bella'.


	4. Naked News Bonus Chapters

**Naked News Bonus Chapters**

**# 1 - A Woman Named Nell**

Eight years ago, the inception of his architectural dream had felt monumental. The hard work of many years training had led to this moment, his first step on the ladder of achievement. He knew he had a long way to go before he reached the metaphorical penthouse (or literal if he had his way about it...he was an architect after all), but once the ink was dry on the company registration papers, he took a small moment to breathe easy and finally begin to relish in some of the fruits of his hard labours.

Standing in his modestly attractive apartment, he sighed somewhat wryly at the detritus of rubbish his best friends had left in their wake. While perhaps not knowing them since birth, he still felt that his friendship with Emmett and Jasper was of the 'life-long' variety and it was for this reason that he had entrusted them with his lifelong dreams of owning his own design business. Between the two of them, he could count numerous skills that covered a variety of departments necessary to any fledgling company: law, HR, marketing etc.

_And leave all the designing to me._

It was a rather happy arrangement, with only a few minor obstacles in the earlier years that were of any particular note. On reflection, he supposed that the biggest one would have to be Professor Nell McCluskey.

Professor Nell McCluskey – perhaps the most attractive professor of advanced architectural design at their alma mater, and coincidentally also the supervisor for his final thesis. She was widely lauded in the field, both by peers and students. She had achieved a lot in her short career, being only in her early thirties...not that you could tell she was even of that age.

The students in her classes contained many macho wannabes but even those guys, no stranger to leering and suggestive crotch grabbing behind pretty girls backs, did not show any disrespect in _her_ classes. No matter how many hard cocks she might have caused. It was not unusual for the male complement of her class to remain long after the females had left, unwilling to stand and do a realistic impression of Trafalgar Square.

Both Emmett and Jasper had fallen under her spell earlier in their academic careers, but that had all stopped when they met their respective other halves. Now one might have thought that Edward Cullen; studious, articulate and attractive might have been no exception to her unconscious seductions.

How wrong they were.

There was no doubt that he could appreciate her aesthetically appealing form: she was moderately curvaceous, light and naturally blonde hair with very kind and clever looking green eyes. He admired her mind and counted himself lucky when she had agreed to function as his supervisor, but he was never sexually attracted or affected by her.

When his years at university were coming to a close, he could provide a true assessment to anyone who asked that he enjoyed a platonic relationship with Professor McCluskey, sometimes meeting her for a latte when she was finished teaching for the day, to discuss a revelation he had regarding his thesis.

Perhaps it might be a fair assessment to say that Edward Cullen, while being clever was not particularly adept at reading female signals. Other male students who frequented the coffee shops watched in envious states as the attractive woman developed an undeniable gleam in her eye as she watched the young copper haired man speak with so much talent and enthusiasm to the field in which she had dedicated and sacrificed so much. But when he was finished waxing lyrical about his ideas, he would gaze at her in patience, waiting for her assessment of his ideas.

'Oh...right. Well, Edward, that sounds very thoroughly thought out and visually appealing. Why don't you type up your notes and I will have a look at them when I get a chance,' she would often say, sighing sadly at the complete absence of any sort of sexual interest from her handsome soon-to-be-not-a-student student.

'Okay, thanks Professor!' he would say in excitement, hurriedly paying the bill and holding the door open for her like the gentleman he was.

NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS

He graduated with honours and thoughts of his favourite Professor soon faded to irregular moments of reflection and thankfulness. That is, until his first well paying client turned out to be none other than Nell McCluskey.

Jasper and Emmett immediately de-evolved into primates as they hooted and tormented him with propositions that the 'sexy professor' missed her 'favourite student' and was looking forward to 'spanking him over the desk he would design for her'.

It was the first and only time he had ever really had a personal fight with this friends.

'Don't talk about her like that! She is a clever woman who is obviously doing us a favour by recruiting our services to design a new showcasing room for the architecture department. I really think it demeans her intellect when you talk about her like that,' he shouted at his teasing friends, relishing the swift fall of their smiles and reddening of their faces at the unexpected reprimand.

Of the two of them, Jasper was the one to speak first.

'You're right Edward, we should be grateful to be recruited by Professor McCluskey. I am sure it will only do us good,' he offered the angry young man by way of apology.

After an affirming nod from Emmett, nothing more was said of the matter.

It turned out that the project involved very little personal interactions with 'Nell' as she asked to be called from now on. They communicated regularly via email during the project and even afterwards. He found a certain level of satisfaction in maintaining a friendship with the woman who had helped him so much in his earlier career. They did not talk much on a personal level, but shared satisfying and illuminating discussions on the progression of their careers. He could often expect the odd email from her perhaps once a month and he left it there.

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

It was a gorgeous twilight evening, the twinkling of stars just beginning to shy themselves out of their hiding places. He and his lady love were due to dine out for once and he had wanted to make it special. They did not often emerge from his palatial home during their off hours, unless it was to meet with friends or family, but tonight he wanted to shake up his routine and was therefore treating his Bella to French cuisine tonight, followed by an old black and white movie at his favourite art revival cinema, a jewel which was hidden in the modern city.

Bella was making her own way to their rendezvous point as she had been at Charlie's earlier and had wanted to 'doll up a bit for the occasion'.

Sufficed to say, the words alone were enough for him to tent his trousers.

Sitting at their quiet little booth, he glanced at his watch and knew that Bella would be here within a matter of ten minutes or so. He took a moment to appreciate the low lighting and intimate atmosphere of the place. Mellow jazz was playing and it somehow worked perfectly with the twilight shining through the low level windows, bedecked in sparkling fairy lights. The velvet and damask hints on the table cloths and wall prints were enough to feel as if you were eating in a decadent time of ages past.

'Edward? Is that you?' a familiar voice interrupted his musings and he looked up to see Nell standing near his table, grinning in friendly recognition at her correspondent. He took a moment to survey her appearance. She was gracefully aging, a tiny touch of silver in the gold tresses that graced her neck and shoulders. Her green gaze was still as direct, and the modestly cut yet fashionable style of her dress and accessories made her one attractive looking older woman.

'Nell! My god! How long has it been? What on earth are you doing in the city? I thought you hated us urban dwellers?' he laughed and joked with her, easily standing up to embrace her with nothing but friendly intentions. As he was about to end the short hug, he made to move but her finely defined arms were still around his chest. Glancing down in a little confusion, he sought out her gaze and immediately knew what she was feeling.

His beautiful relationship with Bella had developed his skills at interpreting female signals and thoughts. He gently pried her arms off of his chest and held them her hands in his own. She looked as if she had been lost in the moment and quickly threw herself into confusion.

'Oh! Sorry about that Edward. What are you up to these days? Are you free to have a drink just now perhaps?' she asked, unable to keep the slightly hopeful tone out of her well modulated voice.

_Be a gentleman Cullen, this woman is your friend. If anything happens let her down gently, but be a gentleman. _

'Sure Nell. I'm meeting my fia-...girlfriend in a few minutes but why don't you have a seat and we can talk for a little while at least,' he said to her, part of him eager to hear about her life. He did care for her in some ways, just not the way he suspected that she wished he did.

At that, his phone buzzed with a text from Bella, or 'Wee Wifey' as he had saved her as.

_**WeeWifey: I am going to be twenty minutes late, sorry baby. Why don't you order for us? You know what I like.**_

_I gotta change that name before Emmett sees it._

He looked up at the attractive older woman who was now looking at him in some agitation but she seemed to straighten her spine and smile somewhat meaningfully as they sat and talked.

Upon hearing of all his successes, she could not seem to help blushing in sympathetic admiration for all he had done. She could not help placing her little hand on his arm and stroking softly, not quite suggestively but still with a silent hope for more. He looked down at the arm which was not Bella's and knew, just knew that he would have to make it clear that a romantic connection would not be on the cards for them. He just had to do it like a gentleman

'Nell...let me show you a picture of my Bella. It's funny, we haven't known each other for very long but it feels like we have. Emmett is constantly making fun of me for never noticing women before her, even if they were beautiful and accomplished themselves,' he finished, softly wording his response to her gentle suggestions as delicately and chivalrously as possible.

As the older woman gazed at the pretty brunette in the picture, she felt a little break in her heart but also a wry chuckle at the lengths to which Edward was going to, in order to spare her feelings. She discreetly turned away for a moment, wiping the last of the tears she would shed over this man and turned to face him, gently removing her hands from his arm. She handed him back his phone and smiled genuinely at the look of love he had for his Bella, even a digital representation of her.

'She seems lovely Edward, and if she caught your attention, I am sure she is worthy of it,' she said, glad that she was able to mostly control her voice.

He smiled at her gracious efforts and thought of how wonderful she was as a person.

_Maybe in another lifetime I might have, but Bella is everything to me._

His Bella-radar suddenly went off and he looked up to see her just entering the restaurant. He stood up quickly and waved to her, eager to block any unwanted thought she might have about seeing him with another woman. He kissed her windswept face with grateful passion, his eyes taking in her beautiful upswept hair and the glimmer of her pendant as it sat between her breasts.

_Lucky fucking pendant._

He hugged her and whispered his love to her, calling her by her secret new nickname of Wee Wifey.

'Come and meet someone special, wee wifey,' he told her, and brought the slightly confused but happy brunette to the table. Nell swiftly stood, eager to remove herself from the young couple's lovely evening, but she was stopped at Edward hand on her arm.

'Nell, this is my Bella I was telling you about,' he said, unconsciously stroking his hands through Bella's long silky hair. He gestured to the two women before finishing his introduction.

'Bella, this is Nell...Professor Nell McCluskey, the most accomplished architecture Professor this side of the equator, and also my very good friend,' he finished, eager to let the older woman know that she still held a place in his affections.

Nell placed a surprising embrace around Bella, whispering something into the younger woman's ears. She kissed her cheek tenderly and bid them both good evening.

Bella watched her go and he looked at her in slight apprehension but was ultimately glad when a look of warmth came over her face as she watched the attractive older woman walk out of the restaurant. She reached to embrace her beautiful lover and nestled against his heart that beat only for her.

They enjoyed a wonderful evening together and made passionate love in the home he was now becoming to think of as theirs. As usual, the contrary and mysterious persona of his beloved Goddess made him love her even more.

Exhausted, sweat stained and gloriously satisfied (if he did say so himself) she snuggled into his arms and wondered out loud in breathy tones.

'I wonder if Nell likes moustachioed men.'

**# 2 - Bella Outtake **

_You can do this Bella. At the end of the day, he is just a guy, albeit a guy you have secretly crushed on for years...without technically having met..._

She absentmindedly fiddled with the little scarf around her neck, a good luck gift from her combined best friend and co-conspirator. Alice had not only helped in her genuine architectural desires with the dashing Mr Cullen but had (in a very un-stalkerish manner) kept her well informed on certain subjects: both as she toured the world and in the years she had been back home.

Military officials had nothing on the gumption of Alice Brandon-Whitlock.

Alice had been the sister-from-another-mister she didn't know she had always missed. The tiny woman was a veritable tornado of love, good feeling and disregard for the rules in ensuring her friends' happiness.

Bella breathed in steady breaths, eager to avoid any feelings of panic at meeting the man she had secretly wanted for years.

Mr Cullen's office was beautifully designed, if a little sparse of personal touches. The designer frames on the wall contained many impressive diplomas and certificates that professed his hard work and dedication for the entire world to see.

She couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride in this man that she did not technically know.

_Jeeeez cool it Bella! There is a difference between Carpe Diem and stalker-like insanity..._

Even her own chastising inner monologue did not sound convincing. Especially when she recalled the extensive preparation required for this meeting, the bulk of which was spent locked away in her bedroom at Alice and Jasper's using the new vibrator she had purchased last week.

_I'm so glad I had that picture laminated._

What could only be the silky smooth tones of Mr Edward Cullen suddenly radiated throughout the corridor. She listened intently as his rather rude personal assistant was roundly reprimanded for her unprofessional conduct. Whilst always a model of virtue and a modicum of lady like grace, she could not help a smug smile of satisfaction as Tanya was easily brushed off.

_Is it lady-like to call her a bitch in my mind? Oh who cares! What a bitch!_

Her heart started beating quickly upon hearing smart footsteps enter the office and she was momentarily glad for the fact that she was currently faced away from him. She heard him stop abruptly and stutter at the sight of her back. Calling on all her courage, she rose from her seat and tossed her long hair over her shoulder, eager to introduce herself to him.

Unfortunately things like introductions took at least some brain function and blood flow and at that precise moment in time, her body seemed more intent on hardening her nipples and dampening her panties.

_Guh. _

The man was hot.

As in orgasm on sight hot.

He was tall and obviously cultured and intelligent. He had the same crazy copper hair from her beloved picture and a wickedly sexy five o'clock shadow that she wanted to rub her skin against.

_I wonder if I could say I was itchy and need a scratch?! Probably not._

In the slow seconds that it took for either of them to say anything, she couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be as equally stunned to see her.

_But he doesn't know me, does he? How could he possibly know me?_

Her heart, that precious and never taken for granted gift from a young girl she would never know, seemed to beat fast and slow at the same time. Her pulse was deafening in her ears and she worried that he was somehow able to hear it, even from the other side of the room.

She watched him watch her and couldn't help but be gratified both at his blush and his opening words, proving her earlier hypothesis on blood flow and introductions to be quite true.

''Good afternoon, I am sorry to have kept you waiting...Ms Dwy..abbabaawwaaaa'

She grinned at him in hope and amusement.

_Yeah. Just you wait Edward Cullen If you are not as infatuated with me as I am with you by the end of the day, then it wasn't for my lack of trying._

**NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS NAKED NEWS**

She couldn't believe how well their meeting had gone.

Once the slight awkwardness of their introductions had been smoothed over, she immediately delved into her primary reason for being here.

Other than trying to make Edward Cullen fall in love with her of course.

Ever since before she was ill, she had been so grateful for Charlie's love and care, but she knew that it didn't come without certain sacrifices. During the scariest and darkest days of her life, she knew that she always had him to count on and in her youth and naiveté, she did not see the effects it had on her stalwart and healthy father until it was too late. As if they had a strange symbiotic or parasitic relationship, as her health improved so did her father's youth and vitality decline.

It was in the pallor of his skin and the greying of his hair. The house they lived in seemed to become leeched as well, pouring a willing sacrifice of care and attention out of Charlie and into his daughter.

Things were better when she was blessed with Alice though. Once the majority of their financial troubles were dealt with, most of Charlie's stresses were removed and he could go back to being a plain old over-protective father like everyone else in their neighbourhood. And while he regained some his old vitality, she would always feel guilty as she looked upon the deep grooves now permanently etched into her father's face.

When she had landed her job on Naked News, she knew that it was her ticket to repaying the decades of kindness and sacrifice that Charlie had willingly endured for her sake. She was going to completely rebuild their home into a place of comfort and love so that he could retire in relative luxury. She had the necessary funds, all through her own endeavours and knew that Charlie would accept her help (albeit grudgingly and with serious moustache twitching) where had not accepted Alice's many offers of kindness in respect of his own personal comfort.

Therefore, it only seemed fair that she hire the best architect that she had ever heard of.

_Lucky for me that it's also the man of my dreams..._

They were both passionate in their discussions, he adding his own technical insight to clarify her moderately outlined plans. His eyes sparkled with green fire as he waxed lyrical on the area he had dedicated his life to. His shining eyes detracted from the slight lines that she could make out on his ruggedly handsome face, and recognised it as a sign of deep sacrifice of everything personal for a worthy cause. She had seen it before.

_God, I want to kiss him._

During their conversation, they touched several times, all innocent and without planning.

It seemed natural that he stroked her arm lightly as she told him a little of Charlie's deserving nature.

It seemed like second nature to wipe a piece of lint off his shoulder.

_I really want to kiss him._

It seemed to her as if two conversations were going on at the same time, both with equal conviction. Their discussion on architecture and the conversation being uttered simultaneously, without words.

As she gazed into his eyes, she truly believed that he was speaking to her.

_I want you...kiss me...please let me see you again..._

And then Ms Fake Tits had to put in her two cents.

As they were silently speaking adieu, her falsely seductive tones suddenly shrieked through the intercom, an unwelcome invasion to the most satisfying tête-à-tête of her life.

'Mr Cullen, are you finished with your meeting with Ms Dwyer? I have some paperwork to go over with you. And then I was thinking that we could walk down to your car together...' she finished in saccharin sweet tones.

_God it's like nails down a chalkboard...why isn't he instantly rebuffing her? Why isn't he denying her request __**right this instant**__?! God is he...are they actually...__**together**__?!_

_Oh God..._

_**I'VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE**_

She quickly packed up her things, her eyes prickling uncomfortably with unshed tears as all of her hopes and dreams seemed to swirl down the drain, flushed by an irritatingly attractive strawberry blonde whose charms were so obviously augmented by surgery.

_Alice said he was single and that he was sure to like me! She is __**never**__ wrong about these things...surely she wouldn't send me in there knowing that he was hooking up with __**Tanya**__?!_

She made a hasty escape from him, unwilling to look or listen to his belated attempts at resurfacing from his stupefaction. The entire exit was a blur as was her descent out of the handsomely proportioned building. She could only be glad that she had not noticed the smug bitch who sat outside of his office, otherwise she might have been tempted to puncture those impressive orbs with a stapler.

She made her way outside to the close benches set in a comfortable courtyard just off of the main building entrance. She felt her heart beating uncomfortably fast and was honestly surprised at the physical reaction her interview had on her body.

_Calm down Bella and breathe. Slow and regular, deep breaths._

For some reason as she uttered her well practiced mantra to offset the panic attacks that occurred ever since the Mike Newton debacle, she heard not her own voice but the silky tones of her favourite architect.

She flumped down on the hard bench, numbly recognising a dull pain in her well shaped bottom at the sharp contact. She finally let the tears flow, knowing that if she were to entirely suppress her emotions then the physical toll on her body could be quite dangerous. She reached inside her large satchel like bag and fumbled around for her phone.

Calling up Alice's number, she reached inside the hem of her shirt and felt for the slightly raised tissue of her feather-like scar. While she wore specialised make-up during her working hours to mask it, she often chose to go au natural in her down time, often remarking that it was a reminder of one of the most precious gifts she had ever received. To cover it up entirely, 24/7 would mean that she was trying to hide its existence and she had sworn long ago that she would make that girl proud and never give her or her family one cause for regret at their precious donation.

**# 3 - The Lament of Ms Denali**

In their small town, in a small state, the Denali's felt that their kingdom was both unstoppable and immortal. The King and Queen were regal and aloof, owning most of the small businesses within their small, dreary town. The three Princesses were as different as could be, although all were pretty as pictures. They ruled throughout their schooling: kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school. Their reign was at times benevolent but in times of political warfare they could be cruel and jeering, particularly when others tried to usurp their ruling positions. The youngest of the Denali sisters was Tanya.

The baby of the family.

Cosseted, coddled and spoiled from her baby curls to her teenage extensions. She was not a raging beauty, none of them were, but perhaps beauty is too complex a thing to consider, particularly when the benchmark is set in such a small kingdom as their tiny town.

She had a natural aptitude for academics, her brain seemingly at ease within a studious environment. When she could be bothered to pay attention, she excelled in most of her subjects, particularly government. Ruling stratagems and political manoeuvres were her bread and butter after all, almost from when she was toddling about in footy-pyjamas, adorable blonde curls bobbing with her unsteady gait.

There were parts of her that were complex.

On the face of it, if one were to consider her actions and sum her up in simple labels, she could be considered cold, calculating, cruel and self-obsessed. But she had a heart as well. She adored her paternal grandmother, doting on her stories of beauty pageants and husband hunting in her youth. She adored the feel of her Nana's furs as they softly caressed her cheek.

And she had been in love before, with the boy no one would expect.

He didn't belong to any particular social group. He wasn't a jock, a nerd, a drama kid, a band kid, skater kid, brooding loner, smoking kid – but a strange mixture of some of them. If he absolutely had to be placed in a group, she supposed he would be a loner, but he certainly didn't come across as brooding. He was always absorbed in something, whether it be a book, a comic, a set of drums, building a fort out of fries.

But to her, he was beautiful.

A stubborn jaw, copper coloured hair and an inner strength that did not fail in the harsh battle field of high school peer pressure.

She tried in her usual ways to get his attention, flipping her extensions, batting her heavily made up eyes, thrusting her petite bosom out whenever he walked by.

Nothing.

He did not look at her in pleasure or in haughty derision, but in a stare of complete neutrality, revealing nothing of his opinions as to her exertions in seducing him.

_Why doesn't he like me? Doesn't he know who I am?_

She couldn't talk to her family about her growing obsession, as she knew they would not be receptive to her being matched in any way with someone who could not be easily labelled and so within their power.

She could only talk to her Nana, who despite loving her and wanting the best for her was not the best role model in advising this young granddaughter in matters of the heart.

'You're just not trying hard enough honey. You are a very pretty girl, you just need to make him realise it. Flirt with other boys, wear shorter skirts. You could even ask your Dad for a boob job. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Your sisters weren't that much older than you when they had their first ones,' she told her, revealing what she thought were fool proof secrets in stealing the young man's heart.

Clever, pretty Tanya took these words to heart, but could not help feeling slightly bothered by the prickles to her conscience. The rational voice in her head, who didn't pipe up very often and who was a big fan of natural beauty was screaming at her that she was lovely the way she was and that beauty was more than skin deep. If she wanted to show this boy that she liked him, she had to present the real Tanya.

_But look at Nana's life. She's rich and powerful, pretty and so happy. If she did it right, I'm going to do it her way._

And so she did.

Over the long summer months, she began what would be a life long journey in self-transformation. Her teeth were covered in veneers, her eyes were dressed in contacts that were a shade brighter than her own natural blue, her breasts were augmented, nose fixed, fat removed that she couldn't afford to lose. She was put on a very low calorie diet, had thick permanent extensions added to her strawberry blonde tresses and learned the finer arts of makeup and manicures.

But did he notice?

No.

As the first dance crept up on the senior year, she waited and waited for his invitation.

_I mean, who could possibly turn this down?_

She had deluded herself into thinking that perhaps he was making it one large surprise, so had told her heart that he would magically come to pick her up in a grand limo, and whisk her into his arms for the rest of the night. She dressed her new body in a tight blue dress, showing more skin than was perhaps considered classy, but it had been Nana approved so she was going with it.

The clock tick tocked and he never came.

_Maybe he wanted to meet me and surprise me at the dance? I'll get Dad to drop me off. _

Upon entering the gaily decorated gymnasium, no corsage on her wrist, she looked around for her secret crush, so looking forward to seeing the look on his face when he saw what was waiting for him.

She should have been more concerned with what was waiting for her.

In his strong arms, cuddled tightly to his chest was a petite and curvy brunette. She was rather on the plump side but she was attractive and voluptuous, even Tanya had to admit that. She was not wearing any jewellery and her dress looked like a lucky find from the Salvation Army, but it was clear to his eyes that she was dressed as a princess.

She watched as they twirled and kissed, the glow of admiration in his eyes very evident as he caressed his petite date. Her hair was mostly brown, but it shined with subtle richness in the glow of the gymnasium.

Turning around and staggering to the chairs at the side of the hall, she clutched her chest as her heart thudded a painful beat, humiliation and heartache driving the tears down her heavily made up face. But the taciturn nature of this emotional princess was such that she soon became enraged and deigned to show the boy who had held her heart, just what he was missing.

She immediately latched onto one of the better looking jocks, ignoring the leering and the crotch grabbing of his friends as she was danced and groped and used. She hated the feeling of his hard erection rubbing up against her body, but she used it to her advantage, sexily dancing in the hopes that her copper haired boy would be enraged with jealousy.

He did not look at her once.

From that day one, Tanya Denali's heart, already so hard, slowly began to freeze. While the boy and his date were scattered to the back of her ambitious mind, their model was forever to affect her fate. She was doomed to be attracted to hard working and attractive men who had that strange copper hair, and to absolutely loathe naturally beautiful girls with real curves, especially if they had brown hair and eyes.

Her descent into addiction to plastic surgery was a highly corrosive and heart hardening journey that prevailed throughout her twenties. Her parent's kingdom proved to be small as she went into the big wide world, barely passing a college degree in business management. Her passion for academics was slowly stilted as she developed into a highly obsessive person, envisaging and dedicating herself to 'projects' when she encountered men who fit the mode she was looking for.

She rarely cried and often submitted to sex with many men, unfeeling any sort of pleasure in her manufactured body and heart. There would be exceptionally rare nights when she found herself crying hot tears, uncaring of the smudged mascara running down her face as she gave in to the small part of her heart that was still loving. This would be when she phoned her Nana and somehow was coaxed into betraying her very real feelings.

But the bad advice from this admittedly well meaning lady only fuelled the increasing rage Tanya felt at every aspect of love, men and sex. She continued having surgeries, and slowly her body started to look false and a tiny bit haggard. Her surgeons were exceptional enough that the scarring from her myriad breast augmentations was carefully hidden under the bulbous implants but it only mirrored the scarring of her already fragile psyche.

One of the more epic stories of her life or 'projects' as she liked to call them to herself was the day she met Edward Cullen.

He might as well have been the boy from her high school.

He was everything she was looking for in a partner, yet strangely, nowhere in her obsessive plotting did she stop to evaluate or label her end goals. Was it love she was looking for? Marriage? Children? Or merely mutual self destruction?

Perhaps she would never know, but for a moment, when she saw his appealing form across a busy bar, laughing with friends, she had a fleeting vision of intimately holding him, stroking his beautiful hair and entwining hands.

And so she plotted.

She researched the name she had managed to eavesdrop as she heard him laughing amongst friends and was overjoyed when she discovered that he was looking for a personal assistant. She might be many things but she was still smart and held a degree in business management. Her years of deception meant that she sailed through an interview and was conveniently placed outside of his office, delighting in the rituals of his work day that meant she got to ogle him without his knowledge.

He had awoken some strange new yearnings inside of her, and for the first time in her life she bought a vibrator. At night she would imagine him looking at her with love in his eyes and it was this thought alone which would drive her to know the first real sexual pleasure she had ever known.

She started off small.

Bending over unnecessarily, a button undone here and there. Being as efficient as possible and introducing bacon bagels into his routine.

That had been the one time he had ever smiled at her with true warmth.

The rest of the time she was either invisible or an annoying fly he longed to swat.

He was aloof and ignored her many and increasing advances, to the point where she realised that she was becoming highly irrational in her personal life. Even her family, such as they were, began to worry about her increasingly fragile state and were shocked at the bills she sent home for the additional surgeries she said were 'necessary'.

After one particularly bad afternoon she stormed and raged in the staff room at how unfair life was. She noticed tears running down her face and quickly wiped them away, knowing that she still had their evening review to do.

She crept into his office a couple of minutes early, hoping to do some snooping perhaps. She was becoming increasingly irrational and was now not above committing small infractions here and there to get her way. She noticed his phone lying on his desk and quickly snatched it up to peruse its contents.

It was the senior high school dance again.

An admittedly beautiful brunette was staring at her, emblazoned with the caption 'Bella Swan, Naked News'.

She grinned to herself as she heard his approaching footsteps and quickly returned the phone.

_Gotcha you sexy bastard. _

She plotted and researched.

She looked through the requirements for auditioning the show and quickly set up some appointments with choreographers and make up assistants for her audition tape. She reasoned with the now nearly silent rational voice inside her mind that if this is what got Edward Cullen hot, wait until he unexpectedly got to view her hidden secrets as she read out the daily news.

She sent in her tape to the head of recruitment, embellishing her application form slightly and sat smugly through several weeks of rude glares from her sexy employer. She could take it for now, if it eventually meant he would suddenly fall in love with her from watching her performances on the show he seemingly loved.

She was so sure of herself.

She might have once considered it a bit below her regal standing, but her moral compass had long ago been poisoned and morphed into a calculative and plotting individual.

Her smugness ended rather soon however when she returned home one evening to find a large envelope that contained her doom. She opened the envelope and withdrew a letter and bizarrely a baseball cap and key chain, both emblazoned with the words Naked News. Annoyingly the key chain was also decorated with the smiling face of one Bella Swan, posing seductively with well placed clipboards to spare her modesty.

_I'll show her. I bet they fire her when they see how well I work for them._

Unfolding the letter, she began to read.

_Dear Ms Denali_

_Thank-you very much for your recent request to audition for our television network, in particular Naked News. We appreciate the great lengths you have obviously gone to in choreographing such an elaborate audition tape._

_With absolutely no disrespect Ms Denali, we are afraid that we are going to have to deny your self-invitation to visit our network premises. We have certain criteria for our presenters that I am afraid you do not meet. We are strong advocates of natural beauty and do not accept requests from candidates who have opted for serial, non-necessary surgical augmentation, in particular your own breasts, which sadly do not fall within our standards. I am also saddened to point out that you are five years older than our preferred maximum age range._

_I would once again like to take this opportunity to thank-you for your enquiry and hope you will be pleased with the complimentary key chain and baseball cap which I have included in this mailing._

_Yours Sincerely_

_Dr Rosalie Hale-McCarty PhD_

_Naked News Recruiter_

To say that she was now in a very precarious mental state would be putting it mildly. She was able to go through the motions for a couple of weeks after receiving the mailing, her denial ensuring her that they were the ones who were missing out. She maintained her ridiculous advances to her employer, but if she had any real friends near her (which she didn't) they would be very much alarmed at the look of blank mania in her contact-accented gaze.

Sadly it seemed that karma was continuing to be a bitch for Ms Denali.

On an afternoon where her latest infraction was being silently noted by the human resources department, she looked up to admit Edward's final appointment of the day, only to meet the lovely brown eyes of Bella Swan.

_But...I thought...B. Dywer. _

When she earnestly enquired if this was the right place for her meeting with the eminent architect, she was rudely snapped out of her almost catatonic stare. She was harsh and defensive at this gorgeous and young intruder to her scheming and plotting. As she rudely pointed the open office door, she could not help uttering under her breath 'pretentious bitch'.

She knew it was over then or at least that now almost silent rational voice did.

This was truly the descent into dangerous territory for the lament of Ms Denali.


	5. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

'Marry me, Bella.'

Edward saw that her eyes were filling quickly with shocked tears. Her mouth was agape and it looked like she had no intention of shutting it. She raised her free hand in an unconscious movement to gently circle her sternum, as she was prone to do in an emotional state.

'Bella, my love...I know that according to convention, we haven't been together for that long, but I have no doubt in my mind that we are meant to be,' he said, confident in their destiny together. He was not nervous about any aspect of joining his future with Bella's.

_Life is short. _

_We need to make the moments last._

'Edward, do you know what you are saying? You've just woken up, I mean...you can't be serious,' Bella said in a flustered tone.

He laughed internally at her words, knowing that he had proposed to her (in his mind), from the first time he had seen her pixelated self.

'Honey, I am of sound mind and judgement. I have been thinking about this for a while – just ask Charlie if you want proof! I know that we are meant to be together. Can't you feel it?' he asked, suddenly nervous that his faith in kismet was misplaced.

He glanced around the room and noted that the machines monitoring his life signs were emitting slightly elevated readings, no doubt a reflection of the anxiety he was currently feeling at the thought of his admittedly un-romantic proposal.

The bare hospital room suddenly seemed the least of places to ask her this, of all questions!

He snapped his gaze back to her, eager to embellish his words with some romance.

'..I mean I know I haven't got a ring at the moment, but...Bella...I woke up and you were the first thing I wanted to see. I dreamt of you while I was sleeping. My brown-eyed girl - you haunt my mind even when you are right in front of me.' His words were getting slightly louder as he began to feel even more nervous at her distinct lack of a response, positive or negative.

_Well, at least no news is good news...right?_

His words finally seemed to register, for she snapped out of her almost-delirium and all but threw herself next to him on the narrow bed. Using a rare moment of physical grace and mindful of his wires, she carefully positioned herself as to allow him to hold her in a face to face embrace.

'Edward...I literally can't find my words right now...god why do I make such a mess of things...beautiful man I love proposes and I act like a fucking idiot,' she started to ramble incoherently and nestled her face into his strong chest.

_Silly Bella. It wouldn't be a real proposal if you weren't exactly yourself, rambling words and all_.

He drew her in closer, shushing her gently and murmuring, 'it's okay love, we can talk about it later. I'm just glad that you know how I feel.'

It took him a while to realise that they must have both fallen asleep, as the grey light of early morning was visible through the off white venetian blinds. He glanced about himself and noted that Bella was still in his arms, a thin blanket somehow strewn over the both of them. He didn't know the routine of medical rounds yet, so he was unaware of when their calm might be interrupted.

He gazed down at the woman in his arms and gently drew a line down the puckered skin of her brow.

_She must be worrying about something._

He noted the very dark circles under her eyes and was worried about the significant difference he could feel in her weight, even whilst lying down.

_God, she is going to worry herself sick. Please, whoever is listening, I promise to look after her to the best of my ability. Please let us have each other._

Unable to resist, he started laying soft kisses along her cheekbones. Her pretty little nose began twitching, reminding him of Samantha from Bewitched. Memories of watching those black and white reruns with her surfaced to his memory, cuddled up in bed together.

_Hmmm I'd love a million more please._

He indulged in one of his favourite past times, running his fingers through her thick hair. He softly scratched at the nape of her neck, moving his fingertips in soft circles along her scalp. She smiled softly as she woke, her long lashes fluttering thickly.

'Good morning,' she whispered, sinuously stretching her limbs. He couldn't help but glance down at her sexy body and noted that he wasn't ill enough to stop the natural bodily reaction of a young-man-in-love-and-in-bed-with-his-girl.

She blushed and chuckled huskily at the sounds of the heart monitor that signalled a fast rise in his heart rate. She winked at him and torturously stroked her hand down his torso, teasing the defined ridge of his cock that was fast rising through the thin cotton sheets.

His eyes widened and he gasped at the tickling torture she briefly administered to the sensitive cockhead, automatically thrusting and whining when she swiftly moved her hand back to her side of the bed.

'As soon as we get you to your home, cowboy,' she winked.

'Our home,' he corrected her automatically.

Her smile swiftly stilled as the events of the previous night came crashing back.

'I meant what I said last night Bella. I want to spend a life with you. I want to create a home with you, have you there for all the big and little things. I want to marry you and have you wear my mark on your finger. I know you love your job – I love your job too. I'd love it even more if I knew that all the men watching you can only fantasise about the body that I get to love and cherish. Your beautiful body, soul, mind, brain, heart – absolutely your beautiful heart. I think it was meant to find me. I don't think mine truly beat until I saw your face for the first time. I love you Bella,' he told her steadily, loving the blush that came across her face at his words.

The dazzling smile that greeted him caused his heart to leap. Closing his eyes, he held her close and whispered further.

'I want to marry you Bella. I want to make beautiful babies with you, and grow old together.'

He gently withdrew, wanting an absolute answer from his intended bride.

Instead of a happy countenance however, a pained expression now crossed her face. She swiftly bunched her fist and searched for the half heart surrounding her neck. She started to shake, her legs trembling. He watched in dismay as she slightly pulled out of his embrace.

Shaking her head slightly, she started crying and stuttering.

'Edward..I can't-can't-can'ttt-


	6. Chapter 50

**Naked News**

**Chapter 50**

'Edward..I can't-can't-can'ttt-' she stuttered.

He looked at the now distraught woman in his arms, wondering what on earth could have changed in the previous thirty seconds. Her facial expression had transitioned from transcendent to tormented, without any catalyst as far as he could tell.

Eyebrows bunching together in confusion, he was quick to question Bella's sudden change in response.

'Bella? What is the matter love?' he asked in trepidation.

Taking a few deep calming breaths and looking as if she were using all of her courage, she brought her gaze up to his own searching expression.

'Edward, I don't really know how to say this...I mean we haven't ever really talked about it, but...my doctors always said that while I can expect a normal life expectancy if I maintain good health, they advised against putting my body through the stresses of pregnancy. I will never be able to carry your child, Edward,' she said softly, tears running down her face.

He was stunned into silence for a minute. He had never fully considered the implications of her medical history. Whenever he thought of her beautiful heart, he tended to just send a thankful prayer to fate for sending her to his arms.

_I can feel her trembling. God, she's obviously been worried about this. As if it matters. There are plenty of ways to expand our family when the time comes._

'Bella,' he began, using a soft tone meant to immediately soothe. 'Honey, I would never do anything to put your health in danger. I love you, however you come. I want you in all ways. What do you see in our future?' he asked her honestly.

He brought her into his arms, trying to calm the residual tremors of her emotional state.

_If she were plugged into these machines, I bet her heart rate would drown the corridor. I have got to calm her down._

He pillowed her head on his right bicep and finger-brushed her hair slowly while holding her tight to his chest with his left hand. Her breathing became more regular, although he could still feel the steady trickle of hot tears slipping from her cheeks to the corner of his neck and shoulder.

He felt the vibrations as she spoke in a voice that was raspy from crying.

'I see our family, Edward. However it comes. Yes I will marry you.'

It took another ten days of recuperation before they were able to send him home. Once the issue of convincing Bella to marry him was certain, he turned his attention to the recent events that had caused him to be in this hospital bed.

Unfortunately, the details of the crash remained murky at best. There were a few things of which he was certain that could prove useful to the detectives in charge of his incident report.

After he had started the phone conversation with Bella, he remembered flashes of a red car and someone wearing sunglasses. Cruel and thin lips had been smirking maliciously.

Alas it did little to alleviate the onset of angry mood swings, although Dr Gerandy assured him that this was a perfectly natural delayed response to healing from the trauma. The medical conclusion was that given the severity of the crash and the total write off of his car, he was lucky to have escaped with as little injury as he had. The bruising and swelling had healed well enough that he didn't grimace at the bathroom mirror anymore.

He was currently dressing in his own clothes, unassisted despite the combined efforts of his fiancé, parents and medical staff. It was something that he wanted to do. A rite symbolising his eventual leave of this fucking hospital room.

_If I never see another one again, it will be too soon._

Limping about the bathroom, slow as an old fart, he withheld a wince at the pain caused, despite the slow elevation of his arms as he was putting on his casual t-shirt. He noted that it was the one Bella sometimes slept in and grinned lasciviously at his mirror image at the thought of finally getting some alone time with his intended. Her scent was beautiful as it invaded his nose.

'Edward, are you nearly done? Emmett is nearly here and you know he will offer to help you if you aren't finished!' Bella's voice lightly teased him through the closed door. It was enough of an incentive to finish dressing as quickly as he could.

_Skipping giants do not valets make_.

Nodding once at his scruffy visage, he opened the door to find her eyes anxious, despite her humorous words. He vowed to never take her love for granted.

'I am ready, willing and able Ms Swan,' he answered her, delighting in the immediate blush his suggestive tone caused. She readily went into his welcoming arms, lightly wrapping her curvaceous form around his healing body.

'One thing at a time, Mr Cullen. However, as soon as we get to your house-' she was immediately cut off by his swift kiss, his lips tenderly moving with hers. His tongue gently came out to stroke at hers and he made no effort to hide her effect on him, gently brushing his erection into her body.

Pulling back, he quickly corrected her.

'Our house.'


	7. Chapter 51

**Warning – contains adult themes and scenes**

**Chapter 51**

_Finally._

_Friday night. One month of convalescing is now done._

_I can finally fucking take her. _

_Pun absolutely intended_.

During the previous month, his doctor had advised him to take things very easy. Staying at home was a must, with little to no exertion until his body healed. Emmett and Jasper had moved one of the guest beds down into his entertainment room, thereby preventing any pain from climbing the stairs. Bella and his Mom had been embracing their inner care-giving roles and had effectually rid his kitchen of its virginity. Healthy home cooked food now stocked the fridge and freezer. He smiled every time he saw his mother's grimace at the lean cuisines that had been housed in the large chest freezer.

_I've got to admit though; I'm looking forward to the steaks Bella will be cooking tonight._

He sometimes found it humorous to consider that as his body healed, he was in better holistic health than he had been before the accident.

_Although, if I see one more bowl of broth, I might have to do something drastic._

His recuperation had been a busy yet loving time. During the past month, he had seen his friends on most days and every weekend. He especially loved watching the blossoming romance between Nell and Charlie. It was funny watching that moustache twitch alongside what he now knew to be a hereditary blush. He loved watching the sparkle in Bella's eyes as she gazed at her happy father, so different from the one she grew up with.

Perhaps the best part of his recuperation, however, was the slow but steady process of watching Bella's belongings accumulate in their now shared home. She had taken a leave of absence from her work and had barely left him alone as he convalesced.

Whenever they had company, they had to bite their lips to stop from grinning like mad. Whenever he saw her hand reach to tangle in the sparkling chain around her neck, his heart leapt with joy, knowing that she was circling the sparkling ring that now resided there beside her half heart charm. He watched her reach for it again as they walked Charlie, Esme and Carlisle to the door.

Clasping his arms around Bella's waist, he turned to Charlie and reached out his free hand for a manly handshake. Ever the surprise, however, he soon found himself engulfed in a three-way hug.

'I'm proud of you son. I've always known you will take good care of my Bella. Now I now that she will always take good care of you,' he gruffly said into Edwards's ear. He leaned back slightly and Edward saw the slight moustache twitch that clearly seemed to say 'I'm onto you. Nobody bullshits the Chief'.

_Damn. I suppose I already asked his permission anyway. Not like it would have stopped me, really._

Several hugs and kisses later, they were blessedly parent free. He swiftly engaged the security system and surprised Bella by picking her petite form up and pressing her into the wall with sweet kisses. One hand went to support and squeeze her luscious round bottom as the other sifted through her long hair to tenderly grasp her neck. He went in for a right sided kiss, controlled passion being the furthest thing from his mind.

Long open mouthed kisses were interspersed with tentative brushes of his tongue against her full bottom lip. One thumb came to stroke against her left cheekbone. He did not shy away from showing her the effect she had on him. He took one of her petite hands and placed it briefly between his legs, covering her fingers as they both squeezed his rigid length over the denim.

'Look at what you do to me, vixen,' he said in a voice made rough with desire and longing. He carried her swiftly up the stairs, past the temporary bed that they had been using for the past month.

_No. We are going back to OUR bed now. This is happening_

He laid her down, his shirt disappearing swiftly in the haze of kissing and groping. Arching his strong shoulders, he pressed her into the dark-coloured bedding and swiftly popped the buttons on her blouse. His erection pulsed when he saw that she was not wearing a bra.

'Edward,' she gasped, 'what are you doing? You know we can't do thi-' she started to mutter, clearly fighting against the amazing sensations he was trying to evoke. He felt strong and capable as he lovingly spread out her arms and legs to the corners of the mattress. He saw her, nearly naked and spread out for worship.

'Bella, I'm fucking done waiting. I'm taking you right now.'


	8. Chapter 52

**Naked News **

**Warning – the next few chapters contain adult themes and situations. It's basically one big sex scene. I felt it was long overdue. If you don't like that kind of thing, then you are probably in the wrong place.**

**Chapter 52**

'Keep your arms and legs spread, Bella,' he commanded. He wanted her at his loving mercy. He needed to experience that intimate trust that he had only felt with her.

The room was cool, the silky bedding a balm to their overheated skin. Her chocolate eyes seemed huge and mysterious against the plum coloured sheets. Her pouty lips were puckered, kissing the air in reflex of his sensuous command. Jerkily nodding, she stretched out her wrists and ankles, arching her back. Her breasts stood out so provocatively, the milky flesh adorned with stiff peaks.

'Jesus fucking Christ, Bella, that is so fucking sexy,' he groaned, feeling his erection kick against its denim confines at the sight of her bare skin. He traced his fingers along the centre line of her stomach, swirling around her naval and along her breast bone. He spread himself atop her and, making sure to press the hard ridge of his desire against her centre, he feathered light kisses against the beautiful scar across her pale flesh.

'This, right here Bella, is so beautiful to me. It's proof that fate sent you to me,' he whispered against her flesh. He saw her arms twitch, obviously fighting the desire to embrace his body. He brought his arms up, going slowly to ensure that he titillated her with the sight of his strong, muscular shoulders. He trapped her, one hand bracing his weight on either side of her head. He bent down and made to kiss her, teasing her with light touches. Her huffs of impatience, her muted thrusts against his hips, all served to ramp up the desperate desire he wanted to invoke in her.

Sliding down her delicate form, he went in for some deep, dark and desperate kisses. He could feel his control slipping, the need to be inside her soft, wet warmth almost unbearable. He clasped her jaw in one strong hand, plundering her willing mouth with his tongue. He could feel her nipples tightening against his toned chest and knew a sudden desire to make her come from that simple stimulation.

'Edward...mmm...touch me, please...' she moaned softly, her energy consumed in the passionate battle of their bodies.

_Beautiful. _

_Although still wearing too many fucking clothes._

'I love you, Bella,' he whispered in her ear, gently beginning to grind his cock up and down where she wanted it most. 'You're mine...all mine...my wife, my love...'

He made quick work of getting them both nude, before resuming the same position, controlling her movements with his strong body.

He moved down and started to pepper her breasts with feather light kisses, hardly touching them at all. He brought them both together in his hands, kissing and licking them everywhere apart from the sensitive centre.

He kept his eyes open, watching as frustration and passion played out across her gorgeous features.

'Stop teasing, Edward...ungh touch me!' she yelled.

Grinning in an 'I'm so the man' way, he swiftly took one beautiful nipple into his mouth, alternating with a light nipping of his teeth and fast flicks of his tongue. He wet his finger and started pinching and pulling at the other one, in the secret way that he knew drove her absolutely wild.

'Hmm...' she moaned, thrusting her chest into his mouth and her hips against his. He saw the creeping redness start to appear on her face, neck and décolletage. He brought both breasts together and sucked both nipples into his mouth, his own desire spiralling out of control at the increasing volume of her grunts and moans.

He sneaked one hand between her thighs and gasped at the wetness seeping and dripping down her legs.

_I am sorry I have left you waiting for so long, Bella. I am so going to make it up to you tonight._


End file.
